G. Batista South Florida Engineering and Construction Building Inspection

G. Batista’s  First Right Of Refusal

G. Batista South Florida Engineering and Construction Building Inspection

G. Batista’s  First Right Of Refusal

What you need to know about concrete repair!

Greg Batista explains how to repair concrete spalls, why it’s important, and how to avoid a big problem.

Concrete repair is a fact of life for an old building.    This is especially true for buildings in South Florida.  The “salt air” is the main reason for this concrete failure.   To put it another way, the chlorides in the air make their way into the concrete.  Consequently, the rebar inside the concrete rusts and expands.  As a result, the concrete cracks and ruptures.  This breach is called a “spall”.   These spalls are considered a failure and can lead to a collapse.  For this reason, Cities and Counties in South Florida take these matters very seriously.

The picture shown here is an actual spall. The classical spalled concrete will show the reinforcing steel (or “rebar“) once the concrete comes loose.

Now that there is an expanding piece of steel inside the concrete, it will only be a matter of time until the concrete breaks. This rupture causes both small and large pieces of concrete to become dislodged. Those detached pieces of concrete is the spall itself. Needless to say, concrete spalls are potentially dangerous and even life-threatening. On high-rise buildings they can damage properties below or even make contact with a person. Spalling concrete should be repaired as soon as possible since it will spread and get worse. Eventually, the rusting rebar will render the structure unsafe.

When the original builder installs the rebar inside the concrete, it is typically in a pristine condition. That rebar has a protective layer that is called the “passivation layer”. Coastal areas have high concentration of salts (chlorides) that penetrate the concrete through microscopic hole in the concrete. Next, these salts come into contact with the steel and damages the protective “passivation layer” on the rebar. When this protective layer is gone, the rusting process will begin and will continue over time. At this point there is very little one can do to stop the rusting.

There have been many instances where structural collapses have occurred and people have been severely hurt as a result. Spalling concrete is a sign that your structure is under attack and this sign should not be ignored. Many people kick the can down the road and leave the repairs for a future date. The old adage of “a stitch in time saves nine” is most certainly true. A concrete repair that costs $1,000 today, will cost $10,000 a few years from now.

In reality, there is very little one can do to avoid any spalling to happen in a structure. However, if one follows a typical building maintenance routine, the chances that spalling can be found and identified increases. Buildings that are painted frequently and are maintained suffer the least from this malady.

Other Concrete Repair Services Provided:

  • Epoxy Injection – This is a procedure where voids are filled in cracked and broken concrete.
  • Spall Repair & Rebar Replacement – In this procedure, we cut out a spalled area of concrete and clean the rebar inside.  Consequently, we use special materials and techniques to fill the void back to create a better and stronger structure.
  • Removal and Replacement of Deteriorated Concrete – Sometimes concrete is beyond repair and needs to be removed and replaced.
  • Repairs On Grade – This is a process that stabilizes concrete slabs by pressure grouting beneath the concrete slab
  • Anchoring Delaminated Masonry Back to the Substrate – This is a process that reattaches masonry (or veneer walls such as brick) to either concrete and/or hollow concrete block.
  • Removal & Replacement of Existing Deteriorated Joint Material – In this scope of work, we remove any failed joint material.  We then proceed to clean and prime the existing joint. Finally, we install new backer rod and sealant.
  • Repair of Deteriorated Joint Nosing – Here, we cut out and remove the worn and/or spalled joint nosing and rebuild to the original configuration.

Epoxy, Polyurethane, Acrylic & more – There are many coating systems on the market including Vehicular & Pedestrian Traffic Coating Systems.  These systems are designed for Wear, Chemical Resistance,  Aesthetics, and Waterproofing.

  • Polyurethane Injection – This system is used where water is coming through cracks as in a basement.
  • Coatings and Waterproofing Systems –  There are many waterproofing systems on the market. Some are better than others. Some are much more expensive than others.  Hire a professional like G. Batista & Associates to help you make these decisions.

Questions?

G. Batista South Florida Engineering and Construction Star

FREE 13-point CHECKLIST EVERY RESIDENT

FREE 13-point CHECKLIST EVERY RESIDENT NEEDS TO KNOW TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC LOSS

NEEDS TO KNOW TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC LOSS

  • MORE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

  • SAVE MONEY IN THE LONG TERM

  • AVOID COSTLY REPAIRS

  • INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES

  • PREVENT SAFETY HAZARDS

Our Guide Titles Include the Following:

  • G. Batista’s Guide for Concrete Repair in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Hiring an Engineer in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Milestone Inspections in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for 40-year Recertifications in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Owners Representatives in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Project Managers in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Concrete Repair in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Hiring an Engineer in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Milestone Inspections in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for 40 year Recertifications in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Owners Representative in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Project Managers in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Pulling a Permit in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Re-Roofing in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Replacing Windows in Florida for Condos
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Condo Building Code Compliance in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Condo Reserve Funding in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Condo Hurricane Preparedness in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Pulling a Permit in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Re-Roofing in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Replacing Windows in Florida for Condos
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Condo Building Code Compliance in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Condo Reserve Funding in Florida
  • G. Batista’s Guide for Condo Hurricane Preparedness in Florida

To get a specific copy of the book (email or hard copy) contact the office at 954-434-2053. The cost for the book, excluding shipping, is $10.

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We service these and surrounding cities:

Miami Dade County

Miami | Miami Beach | Hialeah | Coral Gables | Homestead | Doral | North Miami Beach | South Beach | Miami Beach | Aventura | Miami Springs | South Miami | Sweetwater | Key Biscayne | Palmetto Bay | Cutler Bay | Pinecrest | Downtown Miami

Broward County

Fort Lauderdale | Hollywood | Pembroke Pines | Coral Springs | Davie | Sunrise | Plantation | Miramar | Pompano Beach | Weston | Deerfield Beach | Coconut Creek | Tamarac | Margate | Lauderdale Lakes

Tampa Florida

Hyde Park | Harbour Island | Beach Park | Palma Ceia West | Downtown | Palma Ceia Pines | Tampa Palms | Bayshore Gardens | Historic Hyde Park | Arbor Greene | Golfview | Virginia Park | Culbreath | New Suburb Beautiful | Davis Islands | North Shore | Riverside Heights | Channel District | Hunters Green | Swann Estates | Uptown | Cory Lake Isles | Bel Mar

Jacksonville Florida

LaVilla | Brooklyn | Southbank | Riverside | Avondale | Springfield | Eastside | Oakland | Fairfield | San Marco | St. Nicholas | Ortega | Mandarin | Brentwood | Panama Park | Riverview | Tallulah-North Shore | Westside | Lake Shore | Murray Hill | New Town | Durkeeville | Arlington | Sandalwood

MAIN OFFICE

📌 3806 Davie Blvd,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY PLEASE CALL US TO SCHEDULE A VISIT

📌 401 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

📌 16850 Collins Ave #112643, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160

📌 4651 Salisbury Road Suite 400, Jacksonville, FL, 32256

📌 2202 N. West Shore Blvd Suite 200, Tampa, FL, 33607

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

I had a great experience with this firm. Provided an immediate appointment for my clients that were in a pinch with time constraints regarding their inspection period for a home purchase. They delivered fast, detailed, and professional service. Explained findings in understandable language so that my customers could be confident on what was on the inspection report. I recommend highly their services. Thanks Greg for all your help!

Alex Novoa, Google Reviews

I am so impressed with the service that we received from this company!! Seamless……..Showed up for Structural and Electrical inspection on time.
Completed the inspection while being aware of the various retail establishments needs during the inspection. Advised us what was needed by the City of Fort Lauderdale for completion of certification – filing, filing fees and their address.

Brenda Kegley, Google Review

G Batista and Associates is a very reliable company. They are honest people with excellent communication skills with their customers and deep knowledge of what they do. This company did a big project for my condo in South Beach, they were impeccable.

Susan Omil, Google Review

G. Batista & Associates helped us with an inspection on one of our properties. They accommodated our short inspection time frame and made scheduling extremely simple. Our experience with the engineer was fantastic and I would highly recommend this company to others.

Albie Caruana, Google Review

Great people to deal with. Very professional team, excellent communication, prompt results.
We used them for a 40 Year Certification and not only they gave us the best proposal, but also a fast response and great service. Highly recommend it!

Cristina A, Google Review

We have been working with G. Batista & Associates for over 4 years. They have been easy to work with. We would highly recommend them to any Condominium Association looking for competent, affordable and professional Engineering services.

Lago West, Google Review