Discover how Hard-Cem can reduce lifecycle costs, lower maintenance requirements, and significantly extend the service life of your concrete - Try the Hard-Cem ROI Calculator Now
Water management infrastructure operates in one of the most punishing environments for concrete. Wastewater treatment facilities, spillways, stormwater systems, pumping stations, seawalls, and dams must resist constant water exposure, extreme hydrostatic pressure, wet-dry cycling, chemical attack, abrasion, erosion, and reinforcement corrosion. The biggest specification challenge is ensuring that concrete remains dense, crack-resistant, and durable over decades of continuous public service.
Principal threats to service life and concrete integrity:
Wastewater treatment facilities: Wastewater contains biogenic sulfuric acid, sulfates, and chlorides. There is continuous chemical saturation and abrasion from grit. Corrosion and thermal or shrinkage cracking add to the risk level.
Spillways: Cavitation is a risk, caused by high-velocity water flow, erosion, sediment abrasion, and debris impact. Freeze–thaw damage is common. Uplift pressure and deterioration at joints also adds to the risk.
Stormwater-management systems: Rapid wetting and drying, and freeze–thaw cycling impacts these systems. Contaminated runoff, sediment abrasion, and hydrostatic uplift cause erosion.
Water pumping stations: Pumping stations are subject to extreme hydrostatic pressure, with groundwater ingress, vibration, and cavitation compounding the risks. Chemical exposure can also contribute to abrasion. Leakage at penetration-points is a risk.
Seawalls: Corrosion from wave impact, tidal wetting and drying, and salt crystallization impacts service life. Abrasion from marine scour, sand and silt sediments can cause foundation instability.
Dams: Thermal cracking and seepage are common problems. Uplift pressure, cavitation, and erosion impact service life. Freeze–thaw can cause micro-cracks.
Water ingress is a primary threat. When concrete is permeable or cracked, pressurized water can carry chlorides, sulfates, acids, and other contaminants into the matrix. This accelerates steel corrosion, freeze-thaw damage, scaling, leaching, and loss of structural integrity.
KIM®, Kryton’s integral waterproofing admixture, provides additional protection by:
Sewer and wastewater environments can be highly corrosive to concrete. There are elevated levels of hydrogen sulfides, acidic water, sulfates, salts and other harsh chemicals. Kryton has developed an admixture specifically designed for wastewater treatment facilities, called KIM BioGard. It protects against water penetration, H2S, acidic waters, sulfate attack, salts/chlorides, and ASR.
Abrasion and erosion are also major concerns. In spillways, channels, tanks, and pumping stations, fast-moving water, grit, sand, suspended solids, and turbulent flows can wear away concrete surfaces. Over time, this surface loss exposes aggregate, increases roughness, reduces hydraulic efficiency, and creates pathways for further deterioration.
Hard-Cem®, Kryton’s integral abrasion resisting admixture:
For publicly funded assets, longer service life means fewer shutdowns, fewer emergency repairs, lower lifecycle costs, and better value for taxpayers. These admixtures support sustainability by reducing the need for replacement concrete, repair materials, transportation, demolition, and reconstruction, all of which contribute to embodied carbon.
By enhancing durability at the specification stage, owners and engineers can help water infrastructure perform reliably for 50 years or more while reducing maintenance burden, protecting public investment, and lowering the structure’s lifetime carbon footprint.
Grande Prairie, AB, Canada
San Francisco, CA, USA
Kurnell, Australia
Richmond, BC, Canada
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Jalisco, Mexico
Honolulu, Hawaii
View All Projects
Contact us, and one of our representatives will get back to you to discuss your project needs.
Get started
