Traditional mechanical scabbling involves using a sharp striking tool to deliver piston-like blows to the concrete surface, thereby ensuring a strong bond between old and new concrete. However, these traditional methods suffer from various drawbacks, such as low efficiency and the transmission of mechanical vibration-which can damage the underlying structure and compromise its service life.
For small-scale scabbling tasks-such as localized, vertical, side-surface, or overhead applications-compact, handheld scabbling machines offer excellent results without damaging the existing structure.
Because many mechanical scabbling tools can compromise the protective concrete cover and inflict severe-or even catastrophic-damage on the structure itself, the use of large mechanical scabblers has been banned in many projects, particularly those involving concrete scabbling for bridges and tunnels. High-pressure water jetting, which enables "non-destructive scabbling," is currently the safest and most widely used method.
