SPALLED CONCRETE DRIVEWAY - FIXING SPALLING ISSUES

What caused this surface failure on my integrally colored concrete driveway, and what can I do to repair it? The driveway is 6 years old and 1,000 square feet in size, but only a few hundred square feet directly in front of the garage doors show signs of failure.

This type of surface failure, known as spalling or scaling, is more common in colder climates where freeze-thaw cycles and deicing chemicals are prevalent. Freezing causes the water in the capillaries of the concrete to expand, creating pressure. Over time, the expansive pressure from repeated cycles of freezing and thawing can break away the top surface of the concrete machinery, leaving pit marks and exposing the coarse aggregate. Deicing chemicals only aggravate the already-stressed concrete by allowing more water to migrate into the concrete, thus increasing the size and depth of the spalling failures when a freeze occurs. That's why the problem occurred only in front of the garage, where the cars are often parked. Deicing chemicals picked up from the road dripped onto the surface, allowing water to permeate that area.
On new concrete, you can dramatically reduce water-induced spalling by applying a penetrating waterproofing sealer 28 days after concrete placement and every few years thereafter. To address the problem after it has occurred requires covering the entire affected area with a polymer-modified cementitious overlay in a color matching the existing driveway. Once the overlay cures, apply a waterproofing sealer to prevent the problem from reoccurring.