ACI-503R-1993-R2008.pdf
ACI 503R-93 USE OF EPOXY COMPOUNDS WITH CONCRETE Reapproved 2008 Reported by Committee 503 H. Aldridge Gillespie Chairman Russell H. Brink Belmon U. Duvall Robert W. Gaul Robert F. Kemphues Harold C. Klassen Members of committee voting on the 1993 revisions: Raymond J. Schutz Chairman Milton D. Anderson Craig A. Ballinger Roger W. Black Frank J. Constantino John P. Cook Floyd E. Dimmick Wolfgang O. Eisenhut Jack J. Fontana Robert W. Gaul James D. Kriegh William H. Kuenning Leonard J. Mitchell Myles A. Murray G. Michael Scales Scott W. Harper Paul R. Hollenbach David P. Hu T. Michael Jackson Troy D. Madeley Albert Mayer Joseph A. McElroy Paul F. McHale Peter Mendis Epoxy compounds have found a wide variety of uses in the concrete indus- try as coatings, grouts, binders, sealants, bonding agents, patching mater- ials, and general adhesives. Properties, uses, preparations, mixtures, application, and handling requirements of epoxy resin systems when applied to and used with concrete and mortar are presented. The adhesiveness of epoxy and its chemical, thermal, and physical properties are given. The modification of the fore- going properties to accommodate given situations is reviewed. Problems encountered in surface preparation are reviewed and proce- dures and techniques given to insure successful bonding of the epoxy to the other materials. Temperature conditioning of the base material and epoxy compound are outlined. The cleaning and maintaining of equipment is re- viewed. Procedures to be followed in the application of epoxy compounds in the several use situations are given. The important factors which insure that the epoxy compound will harden (cure) and therefore perform its func- tion are discussed together with alterations of the hardening rate. The aller- genic and toxic nature of epoxies and the chemicals used with them in the industry create a hazard and precautions are detailed throughout the report. ACI Committee Reports, Guides, Standard Practices, and Commentaries are intended for guidance in designing, plan- ning, executing, or inspecting construction and in preparing specifications. References to these documents shall not be made in the Project Documents. If items found in these documents are desired to be a part of the Project Docu- ments, they should be phrased in mandatory language and incorporated into the Project Documents. Leonard Pepper Secretary Raymond J. Schutz George Selden Frank Steiger George W. Whitesides Myles A. Murray Secretary Richard Montani Richard B. Parmer Hamid Saadatmanesh W. Glenn Smoak Joe Solomon Michael M. Sprinkel Robert J. Van Epps D. Gerry Walters Keywords: abrasion resistant coatings; abrasive blasting; acid treatment (con- crete); adhesion; adhesives; aggregates; bonding; bridge decks; chemical analysis; chemical attack; cleaning coatings: compressive strength; concrete construction; concrete finishes (hardened concrete); concrete pavements; concretes; cracking (fracturing); electrical properties; epoxy resins; flexural strength; floor toppings; fresh concretes; grout; grouting; history; joints (junctions); metals; mix pro- portioning; mixing; mortars (material); patching; plastics; polymers and resins; popouts; repair; resurfacing; shrinkage; skid resistance; stairways; temperature; tensile strength; underwater construction; waterproof coating; wood. CONTENTS Chapter 1 - Introduction, pg. 503R-2 1.1 - Background 1.2 - General 1.3 - Scope Chapter 2 - History of epoxies, pg. 503R-4 2.1 - Origin of epoxies 2.2 - Early attempts at using epoxies 2.3 - Development of epoxy applications with concrete 2.4 - Present status of epoxies ACI 503R-93 supersedes ACI 503R-89 and became effective July 1, 1993. copyright © 1993, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved including rights of reproduction and use in any form or by any means, including the making of copies by any photo process, or by any elec- tronic or mechanical devices, printed or written or oral, or recording for sound or visual reproduction or for use in any knowledge or retrieval system or device, unless permission in writing is obtained from the copyright proprietors. 503R-1 Copyright American Concrete Institute Provided by IHS under license with ACI Licensee=HP Monitoring/1111111164 Not for Resale, 06/23/2009 08:06:34 MDTNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS -,-,- 503R-2 ACI COMMITTEE REPORT Chapter 3 - Chemical and physical characteristics of epoxy resins, pg. 503R-5 3.1 - General 3.2 - Adhesion properties 3.3 - Susceptibility to chemical attack 3.4 - Electrical properties 3.5 - Abrasion resistance 3.6 - Resilience 3.7 - Creep 3.8 - Thermal expansion 3.9 - Exothermic reaction during cure 3.10 - Curing and aging stresses 3.11 - Thermosetting properties Chapter 4 - Uses of epoxy resins, pg. 503R-8 4.1 - General 4.2 - Protective coating 4.3 - Decorative coating 4.4 - Skid-resistant coating 4.5 - Grout 4.6 - Adhesive 4.7 - Binder for epoxy mortar or concrete 4.8 - Underwater application 4.9 - Epoxy-modified concrete Chapter 5 - Preparing surfaces for epoxy compound application, pg. 503R-10 5.1 - General 5.2 - Concrete surface evaluation 5.3 - Removal of concrete for repairs 5.4 - Surface preparation 5.5 - Temperature conditioning Chapter 6 - Preparing epoxy compound and epoxy mix- tures for use, pg. 503R-13 6.1 - General 6.2 - Temperature conditioning of material 6.3 - Mixing and proportioning 6.4 - Mixing 6.5 - Cleaning of equipment 6.6 - Caution of solvents and strippers Chapter 7 - Applying epoxy compounds, pg. 503R-16 7.1 - General considerations 7.2 - Specific applications 7.3 - Underwater applications Chapter 8 - Hardening, pg. 503R-23 8.1 - Rate of hardening 8.2 - Adjusting the hardening rate 8.3 - Opening the job to service Chapter 9 - Handling precautions, pg. 503R-24 9.1 - General hazards 9.2 - Safe handling 9.3 - What to do in case of direct contact 9.4 - Use of solvents 9.5 - Education of personnel Appendix A - Test methods, pg. 503R-25 A.1 - Field test for surface soundness and adhesion A.2 - Simplified field test for surface soundness Appendix B - Terminology, pg. 503R-28 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 - Background 1.1.1 - There are many characteristics of epoxies and their uses which make them a desirable adhesive for use with concrete. Some of these advantages are: 1.1.1.1 Adhesion - Epoxy resins have excellent ad- hesive qualities and will bond to nearly all construction materials. A few of the nonpolar thermoplastics such as polyethylene, present adhesion problems and are excep- tions. 1.1.1.2 Versatility - The wide range of available physical and chemical properties of epoxy resin systems makes their consideration requisite in any situation in- volving repair, overlay, coating, or adverse environment, of concrete. The variety of curing agents, extenders, dilu- ents, fillers and other modifiers available to the formu- lator permit the attainment of special characteristics for any particular application. 1.1.1.3 Chemical resistance - Epoxies are resistant to the attack of acids, oils, alkalies, and solvents. 1.1.1.4 Low shrinkage - Compared to other ther- mosetting resins, epoxies have low autogenous shrinkage. Formulations are available in which effective linear shrinkage is as low as 0.001 percent. 1.1.1.5 Rapid hardening - At normal ambient tem- peratures it is possible for a mixed resin and hardener system to go from a liquid to a solid state in a matter of several minutes, or the time can be extended several hours by changing the system. 1.1.1.6 Moisture resistance - A thin coating of an appropriate epoxy system can provide a high degree of impermeability even when continuously inundated in water. Some, though not all, epoxy materials absorb sig- nificant amounts of water in a moist environment. Select and use epoxy products (adhesives, coatings, mortars) that have low water absorption. Water absorption will not be a problem if the material has less than 1 percent absorption as measured by ASTM D 570 and specified by ASTM C 881. 1.1.2 - The benefits of using epoxy resins are note- worthy but caution must also be exercised. The following discussion briefly summarizes some of the precautions necessary: 1.1.2.1 Strain compatibility 1.1.2.1.1 Epoxy bonds very rapidly to a concrete surface and within a short time may be considered as monolithic. The autogenous shrinkage strains which take place in some epoxy formulations during curing can cause severe strains at the bond line and when combined with thermal strains contribute significantly to delamination, Copyright American Concrete Institute Provided by IHS under license with ACI Licensee=HP Monitoring/1111111164 Not for Resale, 06/23/2009 08:06:34 MDTNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS -,-,- EPOXY COMPOUNDS 503R-3 generally by failure in the top ¼ in. (6 mm) of concrete interface. 1.1.2.1.2 There is a wide difference in the coef- ficients of thermal expansion between concrete and the cured epoxy. Even normal temperature variations can be the cause of delamination. Filling the epoxy system with fillers such as silica reduces the difference in thermal expansion in proportion to the amount used. The use of a flexible epoxy compound will allow the system to adjust for the difference in thermal coefficient of expansion. 1.1.2.2 Thermosetting plastic - The components which make up the epoxy system must be mixed thor- oughly and close control of temperature must be exer- cised before and during mixing and curing. Selection of the epoxy formulation that will cure at a given substrate temperature is crucial to the cure. All epoxies will not cure on cold substrates. Proper selection is the best solution. ASTM C 881 specifies three temperature cure classes. Once cured the epoxy will not melt. However, many systems lose some of their elasticity at higher temperatures and become cheesy since their mechanical properties change significantly beyond their heat deflec- tion temperature (HDT). The HDT is different for each formulation but for those systems used in construction, it generally ranges from 60 to 160 F (15 to 71 C). 1.1.2.3 Slabs on grade - Slabs on grade can pre- sent unique bonding problems if there is moisture present in or under the slab during application and cure of an epoxy (or any other impervious polymer) material on the slab. Rising moisture in the slab caused by capillary action can exert forces on the epoxy material that will prevent an adequate bond from being achieved. Even if moisture is not present during application and cure these same forces can subsequently cause loss of a bond that was weak because of other factors such as inadequate surface preparation. 1.1.2.4 Safety - Epoxy compounds are allergenic and safe handling practices must be exercised in each instance. Solvents used on the job to clean epoxied equipment often require more caution than the epoxy. Previous experience dictates that the user be thoroughly familiar with the information contained in Chapter 9, Handling Precautions. 1.1.3 - The foregoing cautions can be satisfied by using the appropriate epoxy system, selected on the basis of a carefully prepared listing and evaluation of all job and application restrictions (those which bear on handling are noted in Chapter 9) and requirements involved. Epoxies have very selective properties and it is unwise to rely on a general specification or general performance criteria. 1.2 - General 1.2.1 Recommended references - The documents of the various standards producing organizations referred to in this document are listed below with their serial desig- nation. American Concrete Institute 224.1R 503.1 503.2 503.3 503.4 504R 515.1R ASTM C881 C884 D 570 D 648 ANSI Z 129.1 K 68.1 Causes, Evaluation, and Repair of Cracks in Concrete Structures Standard Specification for Bonding Hardened Concrete, Steel, Wood, Brick, and Other Mater- ials to Hardened Concrete with a Multi-Com- ponent Epoxy Adhesive Standard Specification for Bonding Plastic Concrete to Hardened Concrete with a Multi- Component Epoxy Adhesive Standard Specification for Producing a Skid- Resistant Surface on Concrete by the Use of a Multi-Component Epoxy System Standard Specification for Repairing Concrete with Epoxy Mortars Guide to Joint Sealants for Concrete Structures A Guide to the Use of Waterproofing, Damp- proofing, Protective, and Decorative Barrier Systems for Concrete Specification for Epoxy-Resin-Base Bonding Systems for Concrete Test Method for Thermal Compatibility Be- tween Concrete and an Epoxy-Resin Overlay Test Method for Water Absorption of Plastics Test Method for Deflection Temperature of Plastics Under Flexible Load (1820 kPa/264 psi) Precautionary Labeling of Hazardous Industrial Chemicals Guide for Classifying and Labeling Epoxy Pro- ducts According to their Hazardous Potential- ities Code of Federal Regulations 16 CFR 1500 Hazardous Substances and Articles; Ad- ministration and Enforcement Regulations 29 CFR 1910Occupational Safety and Health Standards 49 CFR Transportation The preceding publications may be obtained from the following organizations: American Concrete Institute P.O. Box 19150 Detroit, MI 48219-0150 ASTM 1916 Race Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 American National Standards, Inc. 1430 Broadway New York, NY 10018 Copyright American Concrete Institute Provided by IHS under license with ACI Licensee=HP Monitoring/1111111164 Not for Resale, 06/23/2009 08:06:34 MDTNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS -,-,- 503R-4 ACI COMMITTEE REPORT U.S. Office of the Federal Register National Archives and Records Administration Washington, D. C. 20408 1.2.2 - This report is based on those known and most accepted field practices for the use of epoxy resins with concrete. It provides the user with an adequate guide for successful application and performance of epoxy resins to the extent of its coverage. However, the epoxy supplier should always be consulted concerning each new variable introduced by the user. 1.3 - Scope 1.3.1 - The rapid growth of the use of epoxy com- pounds in the concrete industry and the proliferation of available epoxy systems emphasizes the need of this com- mittee report. The wide range of epoxies which can be used as adhesives on, in, or with concrete limits the detail which can be given herein. The result is an often brief coverage of any particular topic with constant referral of the user to the formulator for details of application and performance. Nevertheless, those problems which are generally encountered in the use of epoxies with concrete are noted and their solutions presented. 1.3.2 - Emphasis is given to the preparation of sur- faces to receive epoxy adhesive, details of compound pre- paration, use and application, wit
