Cortec’s corrosion-prevention solutions successfully protect construction materials and equipment during winter shutdowns.
As temperatures drop, contractors race to finish outstanding work before winter conditions bring construction activity to a halt. Yet many projects inevitably face delays, raising concerns about how to safeguard materials and equipment already on site. Although best known for extending the service life of reinforced concrete, Cortec’s range of MCI® technology also offers complementary corrosion-prevention solutions designed to help contractors protect their jobsites throughout the winter months.
Freezing weather often forces grouting operations on post-tensioning (PT) projects to pause. For bridges, car parks, or buildings where tendons are already installed, these delays can leave PT ducts vulnerable to corrosion, compromising their integrity by the time work resumes. In many regions, regulations require a corrosion inhibitor when grouting is delayed for more than two weeks. A highly practical solution is MCI®-309, a Migrating Corrosion Inhibitor™ powder that can be fogged into PT ducts after tendon placement. Once the ducts are capped, protective vapours remain trapped until warmer temperatures return. When grouting continues, contractors typically do not need to flush out the MCI®-309—avoiding an extra step that could introduce contaminants.
Construction work often stops mid-progress, leaving reinforcing bars partly embedded in concrete and partly exposed to harsh winter weather. MCI® CorShield® provides a brush-applied anticorrosion coating that forms a thin protective film over exposed rebar—one that, in many cases, does not need to be removed before work recommences. The same product can be sprayed onto new rebar stored on site.
Idle equipment and stored metal materials are also at risk over the winter. While conventional tarps offer basic shielding, they lack active corrosion protection and cannot prevent damage if moisture seeps in. MCI® Construction Film offers both a physical barrier and corrosion-inhibiting vapours that create a protective molecular layer on metal surfaces enclosed within the film.
These solutions help preserve materials and equipment during seasonal shutdowns, ensuring a smooth restart once construction activity picks up again. While winter delays may be unavoidable, corrosion damage does not have to be. Contractors can contact Cortec® for pract ical guidance on how to keep sites protected until work resumes.