Effect of Substrate Moisture Content during Application on Scaling-Suppression Effect by Surface Impregnations

Abstract

The effect of surface impregnation may vary depending on the conditions of the applied substrate. In this study, we experimentally verified the effect of the moisture content of a substrate during its application on the scaling-suppression effect of impregnation. Specifically, the scaling-suppression effect of impregnation was compared for mortars with water content ratios of 0%, 4%, and 6% under each condition. Results show that when silane-based impregnation was applied, the scaling-suppression effect decreased at a water content ratio of 6%. However, when silicate- and silane-based impregnations were applied to the layers, the scaling-suppression effect decreased with the water content ratio of the substrate. These results indicate that the appropriate dry/moist conditions differ depending on the impregnation application pattern. However, even considering the performance degradation caused by the water-content state of substrate, the result shows that scaling was significantly suppressed by the application of impregnation compared with the case where impregnation was not applied.