CZECH WW2 CONCRETE FORTIFICATIONS: CORROSION PROCESSES AND REMEDIATION METHOD BASED ON CRYSTALLIZING COATING

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2019.59.0359

Keywords:

fortification, WW2, concrete, corrosion, moisture, remediation, coating

Abstract

Concrete is a relatively new structural material, hence the remediation of concrete structures is very rare. There are a lot of concrete fortifications in the Czech Republic, which were built just before WW2. These bunkers formed a long defensive line along the Czechoslovak borders as a protection against Hitler’s army. Today, after 80 years, many of the bunkers are listed as Czech national technical monuments with a strict protection of their historical authenticity. The article describes the technical survey and the possible conservation method of a selected concrete fortification, which exhibits a number of moisture related problems. The studied two-storey, heavily fortified bunker is situated close to the northern border of the Czech Republic, former Czechoslovakia. A detailed survey of the building includes the analysis of the interior environment parameters and laboratory testing of the used concrete. A long-term diagnosis identified the main problem, which lies in the inhomogeneity of the used concrete and the relating massive water ingress. However, the monitored bunker currently does not serve as a military structure and, therefore, a simple solution to improve the internal environment was suggested on the basis of the conducted measurements. With respect to the main causes of failures, the authors suggested a conservation method based on using a crystallizing coating. The suitability of the method was first verified under laboratory conditions and then also on the real bunker.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Jiří Pazderka, Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering

Department of Building Structures, associate professor, chairman of the faculty academic senate.

Pavel Reiterman, Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering

Experimental Centre, Ph.D. doctor, head of technological laboratory.

Downloads

Published

2019-08-31

How to Cite

Pazderka, J., & Reiterman, P. (2019). CZECH WW2 CONCRETE FORTIFICATIONS: CORROSION PROCESSES AND REMEDIATION METHOD BASED ON CRYSTALLIZING COATING. Acta Polytechnica, 59(4), 359–371. https://doi.org/10.14311/AP.2019.59.0359

Issue

Section

Articles