Signs and Causes of Concrete Cancer in Newcastle

Concrete cancer begins when water reaches the steel through cracks or pores in the concrete, and the rust that forms takes up more room than the steel it came from, so it pushes the concrete apart. What you can see from outside, rust staining, cracking and pieces breaking away, is the later stage of that process.

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What signs and causes of concrete cancer in Newcastle actually involves

If there are cracks or pores in the concrete then water may seep in and react with the steel reinforcing to form rust. Concrete cancer is therefore a problem because the corrosion product is bigger than the metal from which it formed and also because the portion of the material that provides the strength is corroding.

A corroded bar with flaking rust and small chunks of concrete below it — signs of concrete cancer, Newcastle. Illustrative example.

What happens next

Corrosion that produces rust will force open bigger cracks, degrading the concrete further by progressively letting more water in. UNSW's newsroom describes the end of the process as forcing the concrete to fracture apart in a process called spalling, more widely known as “concrete cancer”. Concrete cancer is still a major concern in older buildings.

Note where you see it and how long it has been there, and ask the provider whether the steel under it has been checked.

A hairline crack with rust bleeding along a concrete beam — signs of concrete cancer, Newcastle. Illustrative example.

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