Adhesion of Modern Barrier Coats on Concrete Motorway Bridges and Troughs under Tarmac

Concrete slabs of bridges and motorway troughs under tarmac traffic layers are protected against the effects of water and thawing agents by various sealing systems. The results to date have not been sufficiently satisfactory. Modern systems with crack-bridging properties have been formulated paying particular attention to the adhesion between barrier coat and concrete. Adhesion is greatly influenced by water and moisture in the substrate. Rough estimates give an idea of the quantity of water present at the concrete/barrier coat interface. This has to be taken into account when formulating and applying modern non-bituminous systems.