Repair of Reinforced Concrete Structures

REPAIR OF REINFORCED
CONCRETE STRUCTURES
In most cases, repairing and retrofitting a
concrete structure is much more complicated
than building a new structure because new
constructions do not need competent engineers
with a lot of experience, but rather can be
handled by junior engineers with a reasonable
amount of experience. On the other hand, repair
of concrete structures is more challenging and
needs competent engineers and consultants as
well. WHY?
The building already exists and it is necessary to
define new solutions to the problem that must be
matched with the nature of the building and
owner requirements, and satisfy safety and
economic requirements at the same time. The
repair process for reinforced concrete structures
is very important and dangerous; extensive care
must be taken in choosing the suitable repair
methods and tools.
The first and most important step
for any repair is to determine
accurately what will be repaired;
this depends entirely on assessment
of the structure and answers to
these questions:
What is the reason for deterioration? -
-Are cracks and structure deterioration
on the increase?
- What is the impact of current and
expected future deterioration on the
?safety of structure
The answers to these questions will
need to use structural assessment
methods and different measurement
methods. These will help in deciding
the cause of deterioration of the
structure.
Evaluation of the Concrete
in Concrete Structures
When the condition of a structure indicates
that major repair is probably necessary, a
comprehensive evaluation of the structure
should be conducted to determine the scope
of the work required. Such an evaluation
could include the following:
Visual inspection
A visual inspection of the exposed concrete is
the first step in an on-site examination of a
structure. The purpose of such an examination is
to locate and define areas of or deterioration. It
is important that the conditions observed be
described in unambiguous terms that can later be
understood by others who have not inspected the
concrete
Terms typically used during a visual
inspection are listed by category in the
following Table.
1- Construction faults
Typical construction faults that may be found during
a visual inspection include bug holes, evidence of
cold joints, exposed reinforcing steel,
honeycombing, irregular surfaces caused by
improperly aligned forms, and a wide variety of
surface blemishes and irregularities. These faults are
typically the result of poor workmanship or the
failure to follow accepted good practice.
2- Cracking
Cracks that occur in concrete may be described in a
variety of ways. Some of the more common ways are
in terms of surface appearance, depth of cracking,
width of cracking, current state of activity, physical
state of concrete when cracking occurred, and
structural nature of the crack.
D-cracks: (a) fine; and (b) severe, with spalling present.
D-cracks—a series of cracks in concrete near and roughly

parallel to joints and edges
3- Disintegration.
Disintegration of concrete may be defined as the
deterioration of the concrete into small fragments or
particles. Disintegration may be differentiated from spalling
by the mass of the particles being removed from the main
body of concrete. Disintegration is usually the loss of small
particles and individual aggregate particles, while spalling
is typically the loss of larger pieces of intact concrete.
Disintegration may be the result of a variety of causes
including aggressive-water attack, freezing and thawing,
chemical attack, and poor construction practices.
As is shown in the Table, a wide variety of terms are
used to describe disintegration.
(a) Scaling. Scaling is the localized flaking or peeling
away of the near-surface portion of the hardened
concrete or mortar.
(b) Dusting. Dusting is the development of a
powdered material at the surface of hardened concrete.
Scaling
Local flaking or
peeling away of the
near-surface portion
of hardened concrete
or mortar; also of a
layer from
Dusting
The development of a
powdered material at
the surface of
hardened concrete
(chalking).
4- Distortion or movement.
Distortion or movement, as the terms
imply, is simply a change in alignment of
the components of a structure. Typical
examples would be differential movement
between adjacent monoliths or the shifting
of supported members on their supports.
Curling is the distortion of a slab
into a curved shape by upward or
downward bending of the edges
Differential settlement is the term used in structural engineering
for a condition in which a building's support foundation settles in
an uneven fashion, often leading to structural damage
Differential displacement of a portion of a concrete
pavement along a joint.
Buckling of Columns is a form of deformation as a
result of axial- compression forces. This leads to
bending of the column, due to the instability of the
column. This mode of failure is quick, and hence
dangerous
LATERAL BUCKLING IN REINFORCED
CONCRETE WALLS
Tilting
Exudation is a liquid or viscous, gel-like material discharged through a pore, crack or
opening in the surface of concrete. The presence of exudation is a strong indication that cracking
has been caused by ASR.

Repair of Reinforced Concrete Structures

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REPAIR OF REINFORCED

D-cracks—a series of cracks in concrete near and roughly

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