Visible rebar in concrete ceiling - solution?

[msundq]

I have a space in our barn that I would like to convert into a chicken coop. But I'm worried about the ceiling. The reinforcement in the concrete is visible and rusty, see picture. I don't want the ceiling to suddenly crush the chickens, or myself. What do you think, how bad is it? And how can it be fixed?

 

[jawen]

I have a space in our barn that I would like to convert into a chicken coop. But I'm worried about the ceiling. The reinforcement in the concrete is visible and rusty, see picture. I don't want the roof to suddenly crush the chickens, or myself. What do you think, how bad is it? And how can it be fixed?

I don't think there's any danger at all, surface reinforcement always rusts. That's why it should usually be at least 30mm into a casting, and concrete is "aggressive", so there's more rust in surface-level iron when moisture and oxygen are constantly added.

You seem to have an old-fashioned solid casting with boards as the formwork, and you are guaranteed to have several layers of reinforcement in different layers, they usually didn't skimp on dimensions unless it was wartime. Even the relatively large casting surface signals good reinforcement.

 

[witten]

It's very sparse for reinforcement. Could it be something else?

 

[Robin K]

Would guess it's reinforcement support or something else. Very hard to imagine that it is structural reinforcement.

 

[msundq]

Thanks for the response! Can/should one do something to stop further rust? Painting?

 

[Robin K]

Thanks for the response! Can/should one do something to stop further rust? Paint?

I currently work with building new concrete structures and not repairs, so I'm not an expert on fixing old ones.

But from the picture, it doesn't look like it has a "huge" impact/damage so I wouldn't repair it for a chicken coop. However, if I were to repair it, I would chip away around the reinforcement, brush away loose rust, and apply a repair mortar such as Ardex A46 or something similar.

 

[snaggletooth]

Could also be an attempt at weld mounts for potential interior/boxes/etc.

 

[witten]

Thanks for the response! Can/should one do something to stop further rust? Paint?

To know more, you need to brush away loose rust in one spot and take a picture of what is behind the rust.

 

[MrJay]

Brush with a wire brush, spray on or apply zinc paint with a brush. Done.