What causes cement or concrete contamination on cars?
Cement and concrete contamination on cars might be more common than you think, this is partly because when it occurs, dozens of cars can be contaminated in one incident. Whether it's parking near a construction site or driving past a demolition zone, your car could be at risk of being coated in these materials.
Cement Powder Mix
There are various ways in which cement powder could end up on a car. You could be parked near a cement factory, a bag of cement could fall off the back of a lorry on the motorway, or your neighbour could be mixing cement on a windy day. This dust will react with water and so rain or dew can cause it to bond to paintwork, glass and plastic.
Construction/Demolition Fallout
Dust from demolition, moving of aggregates or even clean-up of construction sites, can contaminate cars in the form of fallout. Although this dust is not as chemically reactive as other forms of concrete contamination, it is however highly abrasive and can damage surfaces even when care has been taken while removing it.
Cement Overspray
This is usually caused when concrete is being poured, especially when used to create high-rise structures. It will splatter, and the fine water droplets can get into the wind and travel a considerable distance. The good news is that this is generally water contaminated with cement and not sand and gravel, as that isn't so easily windblown. The bad news is that it can contaminate a wide area, affecting many cars, and additives in some concrete mixes can still make it challenging to remove.
Concrete Splatter
With concrete being heavy, it usually doesn't splatter very far, however accidents happen. Cement mixer trucks can splash passing cars or spill onto roads. Most of the contamination we see is on cars parked near or underneath where concrete is being mixed or poured.
Limescale Contamination
While it is an issue we see far less frequently than concrete contamination, limescale contaminated water ends up on cars. Limescale can accumulate in water tanks, often found on top of buildings, or water can become saturated with lime when running down buildings, where it may drip into an underground car park. Lime is a main ingredient of cement, so the result is much the same, and so are the treatments.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 25/01/2024 12:13