Products

STRUCTURAL REPAIRS WITH MAPEI’S CONCRETE REPAIR MORTAR

28 January 2020

Like other countries, South Africa’s infrastructure
network faces problems that include a harsh sulphate and chloride-rich
environment, as well as aging structures which are being over-used while
servicing a rapidly growing population.

Mapei South Africa
manufactures a rapid-setting, thixotropic and fibre-reinforced cementitious
mortar called Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 ZA which can be applied by trowel
in a single layer from 3 mm to 40 mm thickness for structural repairs on
internal and external, horizontal and vertical concrete surfaces. Planitop
Smooth & Repair R4 ZA can therefore be used to prolong and sustain the
lifecycle of structures in South Africa.

Mapei’s Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 ZA has
been successful in protecting against carbonation and chloride attack, delaying
the time of initial corrosion and suppressing corrosion propagation. The
product is a one-component thixotropic mortar containing polyacrylonitrile
fibres, synthetic polymers and special admixtures. The result is an exceptional
R4-class mortar that offers a solution for convenient high-performance
structural repairs.

Some typical applications would be rapid repair
work on deteriorated concrete beams and columns, cornices and edges of
balconies, as well as repairs to structural elements that require a mortar with
high mechanical performance properties.

“Planitop Smooth
& Repair R4 ZA is an all-encompassing repair and smoothing mortar. The
success of the product in the market has enabled Mapei South Africa to produce
it at our Roodekop production facilities,” says Shane Coll, Building Product
Manager at Mapei. “The product is unique in that our specialist R&D team has
been able to develop a product with fine aggregates to give a smooth finish,
but also a product which gives impressive compressive strengths,” he added.

Mapei’s renowned research and development has formulated an
all-round solution to the requirements of an ideal repair mortar, providing:

  • good
    impermeability to water and salt solutions;
  • good
    impermeability to carbon dioxide;
  • good crack
    bridging;
  • good ageing
    resistance.

“Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 ZA really does tick all
the boxes,” says Coll. “I am confident that it will become a standard stock
item for anyone involved in concrete repairs, whether in the precast concrete
industry, general construction work or even DIY homeowners.”

Enquiries:
Geoffrey Green / Tel: +27 11 552 8476 / E-mail: [email protected] /

Website:
www.mapei.co.za

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