Your concrete basin may be leaking, but there’s no way you can take it down to do any repairs. The whole plant is dependent on the cooling tower running. If you were to coat the inside you’d have to have several days to prep and coat and then you’d have to let the new coating cure before filling the basin. That could be days or even a week.
But, if you could apply a coating that required minimal prep and could be applied to the wet concrete, you’d have time for that. With the advancements of cement chemistry and the variety of additives used in products these days, cement-based coatings are a real option for this application. Flexible cement waterproofing slurries can bridge cracks in the existing concrete. They are easy to apply and take little
Active water leaks in your concrete can be more than just a nuisance. Everybody has them. That area that stays wet all the time, especially after it rains. As long as it’s not inconvenient or posing a safety hazard, most people just overlook it. “It’s just always wet, that’s all.”
But, the truth is, those concrete structures are reinforced with rebar. The rebar adds a great deal of strength to the structure. However, the rebar is also very susceptible to damage from corrosion. And, all that water brings the oxygen with it that drives the process forming rust and eventually concrete failure.
Stopping the active leak is critical to stopping the flow of water. This is the first step to stopping the degrading of your concrete’s ability to perform as it was intended to.