Application of ROTRONIC products in Concrete

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• Application of ROTRONIC products in Concrete

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Why measure ERH in Concrete?

• Checking concrete has dried (set) enough
• Determine the condition of old concrete
• Establish condition recovery after flooding
• Material performance research
• Diagnosis of damp problems in buildings
• Many materials that are in contact with damp
  concrete will degrade in some way.

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High Moisture/ERH Effects

• Adhesion between concrete and coverings
• Movement in floor coverings
• Emissions of harmful substances from materials in
  contact with concrete
• Mould growth in timber
• Staining of natural materials
• Corrosion of metals

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ERH Measurement Technique
Seal

• Insertion probe
• Hole drilled, cleaned (vacuum) and sealed
• Long period to equilibrate
• Temperature
• Humidity
• 2448 hours typical
• Measurement sleeves best solution (more later)

Seal
Probe
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Concrete floors

• After concrete floors are laid, they must be
  allowed to dry below a certain level before floor
  covering can be fitted
• Testing is carried out using ERH measurement
• Standards are in place that define acceptable ERH
  values before coverings are applied
• Critical ERH values 8090
• Depends on the material covering
• Example Wood 80

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Bridges and structures

• Concrete condition key to structural integrity
• Measurement values vary according to concrete
  type and the materials application
• Impact on materials, e.g. corrosion of iron
  reinforcements
• Active humidity control now used
• Example Oresund Bridge (Humidity News 1-2000)

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Building conservation and maintenance

• Similar requirement as for bridges
• Building longevity
• Impact on other materials of construction
• More and more structures built from concrete are
  being preserved instead of being knocked down
• Recovery from flood

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Materials research

• Concrete testing specialists
• Highly aware of application difficulties
• Require the best possible instrument performance
• Recommend products to industrial user
• Set the standards for industry and hence drive
  demand
• Other building materials research organisations!
• Concrete condition and performance can impact on
  other materials of construction or finishes
• Examples include timber, metal, paint, floor
  coverings

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Damp diagnosis

• If a building has a damp problem, rh measurement
  can be useful in determining conditions inside
  structures or voids
• Surface only moisture measurements can lead to
  wrong conclusions because of surface
  absorption/condensation
• Insertion probes for concrete walls and floors
• Cable mounted probe useful for cavities or voids

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Key organisation

• Lund Institute of Technology (LTH)
• Göran Hedenblad
• Swedish Council for Building Research
• Excellent reference
• ISBN 91-540-5785-X

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ROTRONIC key benefits

• rh sensor which performs well at high ERH values
• Stable rh sensor
• Fast response
• Small probe dimensions
• Wide range of options
• Interchangeable probes
• Direct calibration method

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ROTRONIC products

• HygroPalm
• HygroLog
• HygroLab
• M Series
• HygroClip probe series

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HygroPalm and probes

• Handheld solution for spot checks
• Range of display options with different features
• Small probe dimensions mean smaller holes
• Probes can be interchanged without system
  calibration
• RS232 interface could be useful for data
  acquisition

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HygroClip SP05

• 5mm diameter insertion probe
• Robust stainless steel probe
• Laser cut measurement slots in the probe
• Fast response
• No filter means sample preparation must eliminate
  dust
• Otherwise the probe will clog

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HygroClip HP28

• 10mm diameter insertion probe
• Highly robust
• Replaceable sensor protection filter
• Larger dimension means slower response to
  temperature changes

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HygroClip SC04/05

• Small 4 or 5mm diameter probe on a cable
• Flexible and compact
• Multiple probes can be inserted in a test sample
  in a more convenient way
• Used more for research
• Teflon filter available (which increases diameter
  to 7mm) SP-T05 for SC05 only

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Measurement sleeves

• Available for probes with diameter 415mm
• Developed by our Finnish expert in this field
  Vittorio Vitale
• Must be used correctly

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HygroLog and probes

• For unattended logging using the HygroClip probes
• Compact and robust IP65 housing
• Impact protection option
• Local display option
• No site power necessary
• Cost effective

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M Series and probes

• For direct connection of HygroClip probes to
  monitoring or control systems
• Permanent installation
• Live information of concrete condition
• Display option
• Interchangeable probes
• Enables continuous management of concrete
  condition

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HygroLab and probes

• Multiple HygroClip probe inputs
• Used more in research applications
• RS232/RS485 interfaces for PC connection or
  multiple instrument networking
• Direct calibration function
• Analogue inputs can be used with older ROTRONIC
  probes

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Accessories spares

• Carry case
• Protects equipment in harsh site conditions and
  during transportation
• Replaceable filters
• Protect sensors
• Ongoing revenue
• Measurement sleeves
• Optimises measurement performance
• Developed by Vittorio Vitale (use the Sales Forum
  for more information exchange)

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Calibration

• Our SCS calibration standards give the customer
  useful benefits
• Probes can be calibrated anywhere, anytime
• This can resolve disagreements between different
  instruments
• You should always recommend that a customer
  defines a calibration procedure and keeps a
  record so that equipment performance can be
  analysed over time
• The sale or standards, or calibration service
  provides additional and ongoing revenue

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Other measurement techniques

• Moisture measurement
• Pin hygrometers
• Infra red
• Capacitance
• More often used than ERH
• Concept is easier to understand
• Equipment can give a more instantaneous reading
• Does not require holes to be drilled
• Measurement of moisture content is less
  dependable when used inserted into concrete
  samples
• Measurement only at the surface may not give an
  indication of moisture levels within the sample

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Rotronic position

• Rotronic benefits, range of instruments, probes
  and options provide an opportunity for sales to
  this market
• To compete with Vaisala we must emphasize our
  advantages
• Wider range of probe and instrument options
• Datalogging capability
• To compete with Protimeter
• Better quality rh measurement
• Wider range of options
• Datalogging capability

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Market forces

• Building programmes in developing countries
• Demand for better quality of construction and
  finish
• Increased focus on building preservation
• Increased incidences of flooding worldwide

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Strategy and focus

• Develop an understanding of the application
• Research
• Hint, search Google moisture in concrete)
• Identify key organisations in your local market
• Research organisations
• Building standards authorities
• Trade associations
• Promote the product by direct contact with test
  engineers
• Consider promotion to the trade journals (PR is
  good)

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Conclusions

• Industry and commerce demands drive the need for
  measurement
• Measurement demand is at high ERH levels where we
  are strong
• ROTRONIC offer a high quality range of solutions
  and features to satisfy most application
  scenarios
• Sales success depends significantly on your
  preparation for this specialist field

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Questions?