This article was written as a summary of our take-aways from Sydney Build Expo 2022.
We weren’t exhibiting this time but it was good to catch up with some of our suppliers and industry colleagues. We investigated new technologies that might become relevant to us and the industry. We broadened our minds by learning how our niche in the industry interacts with others.
And we attended some of the speaking events, with a particular focus on those that looked at big-picture sustainable construction, and resilience.
Resilience! That was our key take-away from the event. Structures need to be resilient.
Resilience?
We talk about durability, which of course is fundamental, yes.
We talk about sustainability, which is a multi-layered discussion, yes.
Hey, we even talk about Adding Life to Concrete!
Let’s wrap these things into a discussion on RESILIENCE.
What’s the plan?
What is the length of service life are you building for?
Does it matter to you, whether your structure will need replacing too soon?
Are you interested in building re-usably?
Is the structure really going to handle extreme weather events? (Funny thing, but extreme weather events have been happening for quite some time now)
Many of the discussions around resilience involve big-picture planning. True resilience involves more than a single structure. Factors to be considered include site selection and assessment, landscaping, people movement and so on. This shifts the conversation from structural engineering to urban development.
Can we help?
MARKHAM would like to be a small part of this big picture. Durability and therefore resilience of concrete is our thing. We call it ‘Adding life’, and it’s achieved with increased impermeability. Concrete is one of the most common building materials, and making it more durable is an important factor in the overall resilience of any structure.
Concrete is like a hard sponge. It’s full of porosities from the initial cure, where moisture used for curing bleeds its way to the surface. This leaves the concrete open to contamination, which is especially dangerous for the reinforcing mesh. And 100% of contaminants in concrete are transported by moisture. This is why moisture movement is one of the greatest contributing factors to concrete deterioration.
Immobilize moisture within the concrete, and you’ll prevent contamination.
This is achieved with hydrogel treatments. These react with moisture in concrete (which contains uncured calcium) and turn that moisture into a gel. In this form, the moisture is immobilized, and the porosities are filled.
MARKHAM offers treatments for both new and existing concrete, and we’re happy to discuss these with you. We’re keen to play a little part in the big resilience picture!
Photo by Valley Guide on Unsplash.
