How to address a series of challenges such as concrete durability? ——Silane impregnation technology

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Under long-term natural conditions and during use, concrete structures suffer from various defects due to weathering, corrosion, freeze-thaw cycles, solar carbonation, spalling, and rebar rusting; thus, the aging of the materials and the deterioration of the structural properties are inevitable. Concrete construction projects are large in scale, difficult to carry out, and costly. The scale of direct and indirect losses resulting from the insufficient durability of concrete structures is significant. According to a survey, the total value of concrete infrastructure projects in the United States is around 6 trillion dollars. Out of the 500,000 highway bridges in the country, 200,000 are already damaged, and on average 150 to 200 bridges collapse partially or completely each year, with a lifespan of less than 20 years ； The United States has a total of 3,000 concrete dams, with an average lifespan of 30 years. How to address a series of challenges such as concrete durability? Scientists at home and abroad have studied many methods; in addition to protective measures such as the use of high-performance concrete and proper initial curing of concrete, the main additional anti-corrosion protection measures for concrete structures include epoxy-coated rebar, rebar rust inhibitors, concrete surface coatings, anti-corrosion topcoats, and cathodic protection. Since the 1980s, silane-impregnated coatings have been widely used in North America and Europe for the protection of concrete structures such as roads, ports, garages, overpasses, and dams. Internationally, this technology has been standardized as a method for protecting building concrete and reinforced concrete in order to extend the lifespan of buildings. As specified in the European standard PREN1504 (2003) \"Surface protection for the durability of concrete,\" the American Highway Association considers it to be the best measure for improving the durability of concrete. In China, silane impregnation coatings are also regarded as an important anti-corrosion measure in the \"JTJ275-2000 Technical Specifications for Corrosion Protection of Concrete Structures in Port Projects,\" the \"CCES01-2004 Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Durable Concrete Structures,\" and the \"JTG/T B07-01–2006 Technical Specifications for Corrosion Protection of Concrete Structures in Highway Projects.\" The economic viability of silane impregnation, as shown by numerous tests and practical applications both domestically and internationally, indicates that using specialized concrete silane protectants for deep impregnation can safeguard reinforced concrete bridges from damage caused by moisture and salt corrosion for 15 to 20 years, or even longer. Depending on the size of the bridge structure, it is usually one-tenth of the cost of renovation, which can **reduce the maintenance costs for both new and damaged bridges. Practice has shown that the use of silane concrete protectants for the curing of reinforced concrete structures is the most scientific and effective method. At present, the corrosion protection of buildings and infrastructure in our country is faced with tasks and challenges in two areas: on one hand, there is the need for effective protection of newly constructed projects to ensure their durability and safety in use; on the other hand, there is the issue of repairing the large number of existing structures that are already damaged or at risk of becoming damaged. The quality of addressing these two aspects is sufficient to influence the national economy and sustainable development. Especially in recent years, there have been numerous bridge collapse incidents both domestically and internationally, resulting in severe casualties and economic losses. This has led to a new wave of activity in the maintenance of ports, roads, and bridges, and it has also opened up broad prospects for the application of new technologies such as silane impregnation.