"Driving to the office" takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to concrete corrosion in Multi Storey Car Parks. Surprisingly, most MSCPs are built like office buildings, without any protection on the floor slabs, and yet they are intended for use by cars. Of course this means that when cars drive into the "office building" (MSCP) they often bring in de-icing salts from the roads, causing the rapid development of extensive rebar corrosion which reduces both the carrying capacity and lifespan of the MSCP.

Up to the present day, Protector AS have repaired, designed and installed remote controlled Camur ZEBRA (CZ) cathodic protection on 45 MSCPs. During the last year alone, 8 MSCPs have been treated in and around the Oslo area.

The extent of visible and hidden damage at each of the car parks has varied tremendously. However, as a rule it appears that the amount of concrete corrosion exceeds normal expectations and in some cases, it has reached a safety-critical level.

After the damage has been repaired and the re-bars controlled, the CZ system is installed as a 7mm thick coating. The application of the CZ system which uses a combination of the conductive wearing course and the Camur digital remote monitoring system, will enable complete corrosion control for the MSCP. It also offers the additional benefits of preventing water leakages and reducing general wear, whilst contributing to an aesthetic upgrade of the MSCP.

Depending on the extent of the damage that has occurred and the resulting impact on the overall safety of the structure, the alternative to using the CZ system is often to close down or demolish the MSCP. Faced with this choice, the cost of installing a remote-controlled CZ system represents excellent value for money for the owner. In some cases, this may be up to five times cheaper than the cost of demolition and re-build.