Putting our dual-crystalline sealer to the test

When rain fell through the night before a scheduled bridge deck application in St. Charles, Iowa, most concrete protection products would have been sidelined for days. Not PAVIX^®.

Last month, our team completed a PAVIX application at the Wildwood Hills Ranch Retreat Center—a project that demonstrated not only the product's technical performance but its practical advantage in real-world, weather-challenged conditions.

The night before the scheduled application, steady rain fell across the site. Conditions that would typically delay or derail other sealing applications by 24 hours or more created only a minor scheduling adjustment of a few hours for PAVIX. And the deck was re-opened to traffic within one hour of completion!

That outcome reflects a fundamental advantage of PAVIX as a water-based, dual-crystalline penetrating sealer: surface moisture does not impede its protection abilities. Where silane-based and other standard sealers require dry substrates and extended cure windows, PAVIX penetrates deep into concrete pores and capillaries regardless of surface moisture. In addition, as a non- toxic sealer, PAVIX applications do not negatively impact waterways.

Project details

• Surface area treated: 3,000 square feet

• Product used: Chem-Crete PAVIX CCC 100

• Application time: Approximately 30 minutes

• Open to traffic: Approximately one hour post-application

• Spray Equipment: A standard 5-gallon backpack sprayer—no heavy machinery, no disruptive downtime

PAVIX for winter-ready concrete protection

Water intrusion and freeze-thaw resistance

Water is concrete's most persistent threat, particularly in climates where temperatures cycle repeatedly above and below freezing. When water penetrates concrete pores and freezes, it expands—causing cracking, scaling and progressive structural deterioration. PAVIX addresses this at the source.

As a dual-crystalline sealer, PAVIX works by penetrating deep into the concrete substrate and forming insoluble crystals within the pores, capillaries and micro-cracks. These crystals block water ingress permanently, reducing water permeability by two to three orders of magnitude. Independent freeze-thaw testing under ASTM C666 confirms the protection PAVIX delivers against repeated cycling—a direct benefit for bridge decks in colder climates.

Ice adhesion reduction

Beyond preventing water from entering the concrete, PAVIX measurably reduces the bond strength of ice to treated surfaces. Independent shear testing shows PAVIX reduces ice adhesion by up to 90%. For a bridge deck, that translates directly to decreased deicing salt consumption—reducing de-icing applications by up to 50% while offering faster, easier snow and ice clearance for maintenance crews during winter storms.

Safer surfaces. Lower material costs. More productive response time when conditions turn severe.

A model for winter-ready infrastructure protection

The Wildwood Hills Ranch project illustrates what PAVIX delivers, even when conditions are far from ideal—fast application, minimal disruption, drive-on readiness within the hour and long-term protection that begins working immediately.

For bridge decks, roadways and other critical surfaces heading into winter, the case is straightforward: freeze-thaw durability, chloride resistance and ice adhesion reduction. Lasting, maintenance-free performance—applied and ready for traffic in a fraction of the time a competing product would require, even after a night of rain.

For technical data, application guidance and project documentation, visit our PAVIX product page. 

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