Sika SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem
Sika SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem is a three-component, solvent-free, epoxy-modified cementitious coating used as a reinforcement corrosion-protection primer and a substrate bonding bridge between hardened concrete and overlying repair mortar. The product is supplied as Part A (liquid epoxy resin), Part B (amine hardener) and Part C (cementitious powder) in pre-measured kits, mixed on site with a low-speed paddle mixer to a brush- or spray-applied paste consistency. SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem performs two functions in a structural concrete repair sequence: as a primer applied directly to cleaned reinforcement, it provides an alkaline, low-permeability barrier that re-passivates the steel and prevents the chloride or carbonation re-initiation of corrosion at the cut-and-patch interface; as a bonding bridge applied to the surrounding concrete substrate, it activates the substrate for mechanical and chemical bond with subsequent cementitious repair mortar (typically Sika MonoTop-412 NFG or equivalent R4 mortar). Compliance with EN 1504-7 (reinforcement corrosion protection) and EN 1504-4 (structural bonding) is the relevant European product approval framework. TRSC specifies SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem on every patch and full-depth concrete repair where reinforcement is exposed.
SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem is the default reinforcement primer and bonding bridge specification on TRSC concrete remediation projects, applied in the standard repair sequence: substrate preparation → reinforcement cleaning to Sa 2½ → SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem application to reinforcement and surrounding substrate → MonoTop-412 NFG (or equivalent R4 mortar) placement within the bonding-bridge open time. The product earns this specification slot for two reasons: it is dual-function (corrosion primer and bonding bridge from a single product), which simplifies site logistics, and it is independently approved under both EN 1504-7 and EN 1504-4 — the relevant European framework for the two functions. The most common specification pitfalls TRSC encounters in the field are: (1) skipping the bonding-bridge application — field crews routinely apply the product to reinforcement only and place mortar directly onto un-primed substrate, which compromises the substrate bond and the cover-zone durability; specifications must explicitly call out both applications as separate hold points; (2) over-running the open time — SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem must remain wet at the substrate / mortar interface when the repair mortar is placed; the open time is 60 minutes at 20°C and falls to 30 minutes at 30°C, which is routinely the case on Queensland site conditions and demands careful sequencing of reinforcement primer and substrate primer applications; (3) reinforcement preparation — the corrosion-protection function requires the steel to be cleaned to Sa 2½ (near-white metal); abrasive blasting is the only reliable method, and wire-brush-only preparation does not deliver the surface profile required for re-passivation. TRSC remediation specifications include the cleaning method, the surface profile acceptance criterion, and a witness-hold-point inspection of reinforcement preparation before the primer is applied. The product was used on Marina Mirage marine concrete repair where chloride re-initiation risk in the patch zone was the controlling durability concern; the EpoCem dual-function approach was the engineering choice over a single-function corrosion inhibitor primer.