SPECIFICATION FOR CONCRETE PATCH REPAIR

Table of Contents

1.0 GENERAL............................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Scope................................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Submissions – Repair Mortar.......................................................................................................2
1.3 Submissions – Steel Reinforcement............................................................................................2
1.4 Submissions – Cement Based Reinforcement Primer.............................................................2
2.0 MATERIAL...........................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Prepackaged Mortar.......................................................................................................................3
2.1.1 Normal Weight Mortars.........................................................................................................3
2.1.2 Lightweight Mortars...............................................................................................................3
2.2 Storage of Material.........................................................................................................................4
3.0 WORKMANSHIP.................................................................................................................................4
3.1 Removal of Concrete – Delaminations, Spalls and Reinforcement Corrosion.....................4
3.1.1 Identification and Marking Out.............................................................................................4
3.1.2 Extent and Depth of Concrete Breakout............................................................................5
3.1.3 Breaking Out Concrete..........................................................................................................5
3.1.4 Additional Concrete Breakout..............................................................................................5
3.2 Steel Reinforcement Surface Preparation..................................................................................6
3.3 Additional or Replacement Steel Reinforcement.......................................................................6
3.4 Concrete Surface Preparation......................................................................................................6
3.5 Cement Based Reinforcement Primer.........................................................................................7
3.6 Cementitious Bond Coat For Concrete and Repair Mortar......................................................7
3.7 Repair Mortar Patching..................................................................................................................7
3.7.1 Method of Placing..................................................................................................................7
3.7.2 Thickness of Repair Mortar Layers.....................................................................................8
3.7.3 Curing......................................................................................................................................8
3.8 Repair Mortar Application – Quality Control Testing.................................................................8

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 SPECIFICATION FOR CONCRETE PATCH REPAIR

1.0 GENERAL

1.1 Scope

i. The works shall include the removal of concrete on beam, slab and column. The
S.O. shall inspect the concrete to identify any cracks, spalls, delaminations or
corroding reinforcement. Remedial works for the reinforced concrete shall be
determined by the S,O, after his inspection.

ii. The works shall include the inspection of the concrete by the S.O. and repair as
deemed necessary.

1.2 Submissions – Repair Mortar

The Contractor shall submit for the S.O’s approval :

i. Name and generic type of the proposed repair mortar material and associated
cementitious bond coat for concrete.
ii. Name and address of supplier and manufacturer of the repair mortar and associated
bond coat.
iii. Product data sheets showing compliance with the specification requirements as per
Section 2.0 of this specification. The S.O. will require documentation from an
approved independent testing authority to confirm the performance criteria stated on
product data sheets.
iv. Detailed proposal of concrete removal, application and curing techniques to be
used.
v. For site mixed cementitious mortar the following additional information is required:
a) Name, type and manufacturer of the proposed cement
b) Name, type and supplier of the proposed aggregates.

1.3 Submissions – Steel Reinforcement

The Contractor shall submit details as per Clause 3.3 of this specification.

1.4 Submissions – Cement Based Reinforcement Primer

The Contractor shall submit details as per Clause 3.5 of this specification.

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2.0 MATERIAL

i. The repair mortar shall be an approved polymer modified cementitious repair

mortar supplied in-premeasured units of dry components and an acrylic or SBR
based mix liquid.

ii. The cementitious bond coat for concrete shall be supplied by the manufacturer of
the acrylic or SBR polymer modifier, and the manufacturer shall confirm the bond
coat is compatible with the repair mortar.

iii. Bond coat product approval will normally be given on the recommendation of the
manufacturer of the approved proprietary repair mortar of the approved polymer
modified additive to the repair mortar.

iv. The steel reinforcement and cement based steel reinforcement primer shall both
be in accordance with the respective material properties given in Section 3.5 of
this specification.

2.1 Prepackaged Mortar

The mortar shall have the following properties, determined in general accordance with
ASTM C109, ASTM C490 and BS 1887:Part 208.

2.1.1 Normal Weight Mortars

i. Compressive strength in excess of 45 MPa at 28 days

ii. Flexural strength in excess of 8 MPa at 28 days

iii. Drying shrinkage of less than 375 microstrain after 7 days exposure to
50% RH and 23C conditions after mixing.

iv. ISAT water absorption value not exceeding 0.1 mlm 2/sec at 2 hours

v. Adhesion strength such that failure is 100% in the substrate or is not less
than 1.0 MPa at 28 days.

2.1.2 Lightweight Mortars

i. Compressive strength in excess of 20 MPa at 28 days

ii. Flexural strength in excess of 3 MPa at 28 days

iii. Drying shrinkage of less than 375 microstrain after 7 days exposure to
50% RH and 23C conditions after mixing.

iv. ISAT water absorption value not exceeding 0.1 mlm 2/sec at 2 hours

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 v. Adhesion strength such that failure is 100% in the substrate or is not less
than 1.0 MPa at 28 days.

Lightweight mortars shall not be used in areas likely to be subject to impact or

abrasion damage.

2.2 Storage of Material

i. Materials shall remain in their original sealed containers until the time of use and
shall be stored in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s specification.

ii. Each consignment of materials shall be accompanied by a manufacturer’s

certificate of date of manufacture. Materials stored beyond the manufacturer’s
recommended shelf life shall not be used.

3.0 WORKMANSHIP

3.1 Removal of Concrete – Delaminations, Spalls and Reinforcement Corrosion

3.1.1 Identification and Marking Out

i. The areas of concrete to be broken out is identified as having:

a) Spalled and delaminated concrete

b) Corroded reinforcement. The normal criterion will be areas where the

electrochemical potential of the reinforcement is less than – 150
millivolts Cu/CuSO4

The areas to be inspected by the S.O. will be:

a) The soffit of beams

b) Below all areas of running water e.g. kitchen, toilet, etc

c) Areas of mold growth

d) Other areas deemed necessary for inspection by the S.O

ii. The Contractor shall provide all necessary access for the S.O’s inspection

iii. The concrete to be broken out will be marked out by the S.O. The breakout
area shall be entered into record sheets in duplicate and signed by the S.O.
The original shall be kept by the S.O and the duplicate by the contractor and
shall be used as a record for the purpose of measuring the work. Breakout
work shall not proceed until approval of the S.O. is obtained.

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3.1.2 Extent and Depth of Concrete Breakout

i. The perimeter of the repair shall be delineated by cutting at 90 degrees to

the surface with a grinding disk so as to avoid feather edges.

ii. The depth of cut shall be 10mm. Care shall be taken to ensure that no
steel reinforcement is cut e.g. by use of a cover meter. The Contractor
shall inform the S.O. immediately any reinforcement is cut and the S.O.
shall issue instructions for the Contractor to repair the reinforcement at the
Contractor’s own cost.

3.1.3 Breaking Out Concrete

i. The Contractor shall submit propping details for the structural elements
requiring concrete breakout to the S.O. for approval, signed by a
Malaysian P.E. The Contractor shall not commence any concrete breakout
until he receive the S.O.’s written of propping procedures. The Contractor
shall remain responsible for all propping procedures irrespective of the
S.O.’s approval.

ii. Concrete within marked out areas shall be removed using light mechanical
breakers or hammer and chisel, cutting to expose the reinforcement and
sound concrete substrate to the satisfaction of the S.O., without breaking
out behind the reinforcement.

3.1.4 Additional Concrete Breakout

i. Where the breakout indicates that the exposed reinforcement is further

corroded or the surrounding concrete is not sound, the S.O. shall be
informed and an enlarged area agreed to the satisfaction of the S.O.

ii. The S.O. shall test the concrete for depth of carbonation at the
reinforcement depth. The depth of breakout can be increased by the
written instruction of the S.O., in clearly defined areas, to remove all
carbonated concrete, the additional concrete breakout shall not extend to
more than 15mm behind the bottom layer main reinforcement. During
breakout, all care shall be taken to minimise damage to existing
reinforcement.

iii. The Contractor shall mark out the enlarged breakout area for the S.O.’s
approval. Upon approval, the additional breakout area shall be entered into
record sheets in duplicate and signed by the S.O. The original shall be
kept by the S.O. and the duplicate by the Contractor and shall be used as
a record for the purpose of measuring the work. Breakout work shall not
proceed until approval of the S.O. is obtained.

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 iv. Where necessary, fresh saw cuts shall be made to eliminate feather edges
at the completion of the breakout.

3.2 Steel Reinforcement Surface Preparation

All exposed reinforcement surfaces shall be thoroughly cleaned to second quality in

accordance with BS 4232 : 1967, or to the satisfaction of the S.O.

3.3 Additional or Replacement Steel Reinforcement

i. The Contractor shall report to the S.O. any reinforcement which has lost 10% or
more of its cross sectional area as a result of corrosion. Additional or replacement
reinforcement shall be as instructed by the S.O.

ii. The Contractor shall report to the S.O. any reinforcement which has been
damaged by the work. The Contractor shall follow the S.O.’s instructions or means
to remedy such damage.

iii. Replacement reinforcement shall be cleaned to the same standard as existing

steel.

iv. Replacement bars shall be lapped on the side of the existing bars and spot welded
on one side. The reinforcement shall be fixed at each end and along its length at
suitable intervals to prevent sag.

v. The Contractor shall submit welding procedures and obtain the S.O’s consent
before commencing such work.

vi. The Contractor shall obtain the S,O.’s approval of the steel reinforcement prior to
proceeding with repair mortar application.

3.4 Concrete Surface Preparation

i. Smooth off form concrete surfaces be roughened by mechanical scabbling to the

S.O’s satisfaction, to provide a good adhesion surface for application of the repair
mortar. Care shall be taken to ensure that vibration from the method of preparation
does not cause delamanition of adjacent render or concrete.

ii. All concrete surfaces that are to receive repair mortar shall be prepared by
mechanical scablling to remove loose render, surface laitance, organic
contaminants e.g. moss, algal growth, etc and other contamination. Care shall be
taken to ensure that vibration from the method of preparation does not cause
delamination of adjacent render or concrete.

iii. On completion of all mechanical preparation, adjacent areas of render shall be

tapped with a lightweight hammer or more preferably a 25mm ball bearing on a 1m
long flexing handle. If a delamination is not detected at a crack, the crack shall be
filled with a putty filler as per the protective coating surface preparation. Any hollow
sounding areas shall be brought to the attention of the S.O

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 iv. Water moistening of the concrete shall be carried out by the Contractor in
accordance with Clause 3.6(a) of this specification.

3.5 Cement Based Reinforcement Primer

i. The reinforcing steel shall be prepared in accordance with Clause 3.2 and be in a
dry, clean condition before application of the primer.

ii. The materials shall be mixed in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s
specifications.

iii. The primer shall be applied and cured in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s
specifications.

3.6 Cementitious Bond Coat For Concrete and Repair Mortar

i. The concrete surface to which the bond coat is to be applied shall be wet down by
soaking with potable water to achieve a moisture condition such that the concrete
will not absorb moisture from the repair mortar. The wetting period will depend
upon the substrate condition and the bond coat manufacturer’s recommendations,
and to the S.O’s satisfaction. The surface shall then be left until the free water has
evaporated before the bond coat is applied. The bond coat shall be applied by
brush and worked into exposed concrete surface and painted onto the
reinforcement. The subsequent repair material shall be applied while the bond coat
is still wet or tacky.

ii. If the bond coat dries before the application of the repair material, the concrete
surface shall be scabbled to remove the old bond coat and all rebar coatings
inspected and touched up, prior to re-application of the bond coat. This work shall
be at the Contractor’s own cost.

iii. The bond coat shall be applied to the newly applied repair mortar surface prior to
the application of successive repair mortar layers, in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations and sub-clause items (a) and (b) above.

3.7 Repair Mortar Patching

3.7.1 Method of Placing

i. The repair mortar shall be applied to a surface prepared in accordance

with Clause 3.4 and while the bond coat applied in accordance with Clause
3.6 is still tacky.

ii. The repair mortar shall be mixed using equipment of a type approved by
the S.O. and shall normally be a force action mixer. The mixing liquid shall
be added to the dry components and thoroughly mixed to achieve a
uniform consistency, unless otherwise approved by the S.O. (e.g site
batching, which will require dry mixing the cement and sand to a uniform

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 consistency, then addition of the gauging liquid containing water plus any
approved additive)

iii. The mortar shall then be applied to the bonding agent using hand packing
and trowel to the satisfaction of the S.O.

iv. The textured finish of the final repair mortar layer shall match the finish on
the existing interior surface.

3.7.2 Thickness of Repair Mortar Layers

i. The repair mortar application shall be built up to the original surface profile
in layers not exceeding 16mm and the final layer shall not exceed 11mm,
in accordance with BS 5262 : 1976, unless as otherwise recommended by
the manufacturer and approved by the S.O.

The S.O. may approve repair mortar application thickness up to 20mm for
normal weight and 50mm for lightweight mortars provided the repair mortar
manufacturer can give technical data to support a layer thickness greater
than 16mm. No sagging of the repair mortar shall occur.

ii. Prior to cure the surface of the repair mortar shall be scarified to provide a
key for the next layer.

iii. Each layer shall be allowed to cure for a period of at least 18 hours, unless
otherwise stated by the manufacturer and approved by the S.O., before
subsequent layers are applied.

3.7.3 Curing

i. Curing of the repair mortar shall be in accordance with the polymer

modified additive manufacturer’s instructions. Where curing agents are
specified by the manufacturer, they shall be applied immediately after the
surfaces have been scarified for the next repair mortar layer or trowelled to
a finish. The application of the curing agent or other curing methods shall
be to the satisfaction of the S.O.

ii. It must be ensured that all curing methods are compatible with the
proposed subsequent application e.g. repair mortar or protective coating
system. Where doubt exists, non-contaminating curing systems e.g. water
soaked hessian and polythene wrap shall be used.

3.8 Repair Mortar Application – Quality Control Testing

i. Routine quality control tests and inspection shall be performed by the Contractor in
accordance with his approved Quality Control and Testing programme. Approval of
a repair mortar area by the S.O. will require acceptable results from a visual survey
to check for cracking, delamination checking testing and adhesion bond strength
tests.

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ii. The Contractor shall inform the S.O. of all completed repair mortar areas one (1)
day after final application for the S.O.’s inspection and approval.

iii. The S.O. shall inspect all repaired areas approximately seven (7) days after final
application for cracks by visual observation and delaminations by tapping with a
lightweight hammer or a 25mm ball bearing on a 1m long flexing handle. If a crack
or delamination is detected by the S.O. then the Contractor shall breakout the
crack area and repeat the repair mortar application at his own cost.

iv. The bond strength of the applied mortar to the substrate, and any repair mortar
inter-coat layers, will be tested by the S.O. approximately seven )7) days after final
application using a Limpet pull off tester, at the minimum rate of 3 per 100mm2 of
applied area or 1 per 10 patch repair areas, whichever is the greater number of
tests. The Contractor shall carry out site trials on the applied render to establish
the 7 to 28 days adhesion strength relationship, to the satisfaction of the S.O., to
enable testing 7 days to achieve the specified 1 MPa at 28 days. The Contractor
shall provide access as required for testing and shall repair any damage to the
repair mortar and concrete resulting from the pull off tests, at his own cost.

v. The bond adhesion strength of the applied repair mortar shall be greater than the
tensile strength of the substrates as determined by the failure occurring 100% in
the substrate or a minimum value of 1.0 MPa. Where the adhesion strength test
does not occur 100% in the substrate nor is greater than 1.0 MPa, additional tests
will be ordered by the S.O.

vi. Areas where bond adhesion strength is found to be deficient shall be removed and
replaced as instructed by the S.O. at the Contractor’s own cost.

vii. Upon approval that no cracks nor delamination nor deficient adhesion bond areas
exist in the repair area, the location and result of the crack, delamination and bond
checks shall be entered into record sheets in duplicate and signed by the S.O. The
original shall be kept by the S.O. and the duplicate by the Contractor and shall be
used as a record for the purpose of approving the work.

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