Lecture 14

Repair and Maintenance of Concrete Structures

Strategies and Materials for Surface Repair
Embedded
(Selection Metal Corrosion
of repair materials)

Radhakrishna G. Pillai
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India

NPTEL – MOOC Course on Maintenance and Repair of Concrete Structures

Courtesy: Some images are sourced from the internet for demonstration purposes.
Outline of Module on
Strategies and Materials for Surface Repair

• Root cause analysis and repair strategies

• Selection of repair materials
• Compatibility of repair materials with substrate
Process of repair material selection is
important and can be complex
• Establishing criteria
– Performance requirements by the owner and engineer/constructor
– In-service and exposure conditions
– Installation/repair technique
• Loading conditions on the repair and substrate materials
• Dimensional changes of repair and substrate materials
• Cured and uncured states, moisture, temperature, creep,
shrinkage, etc.
– Repair materials for structural (load-carrying) applications is
challenging, but not impossible…
• Final selection depends on cost, long-term performance,
and risk

Peter H Emmons
Material selection process – questions for
repair analysis

• SEVEN questions to be addressed during “repair

analysis”
– What are the user performance requirements?
– What are the load carrying requirements?
– What will be the service/exposure conditions?
– What will be the operating conditions during placement
and curing?
– What placement technique is chosen?
– What characteristics are required for placement?
– Has the original cause of deterioration been addressed?

Peter H Emmons
What are the user performance requirements?

What is the required appearance?

Yes No Comments
Checklist Repair hidden
Repair visible
Crack free
Surface texture

How will the repair work interfere with the use of structure ?
Turn around time

What is expected life of repair?

How long
Maintenance interval
What is the tolerance for a repair failure?

Type of failure :-
□ cracking □ delamination □ disintegration □ separation
Effect of failure on personal injury
Effect of failure on process interruption
Effect of failure on structural performance
Peter H Emmons Effect of failure on environment
Load carrying requirements?
Service/exposure conditions?
What are the load carrying requirements?
Dead loads
Live loads
Checklist What will be the Service/exposure conditions surrounding the material?
Type
Atmospheric gases concentration
□ Yes □ No Duration
Frequency
Type
Chemicals in contact Concentration
□ Yes □ No Duration
Frequency
UV Exposure Duration
□ Yes □ No Frequency
Moisture conditions Duration
□ Yes □ No Frequency
Operating range
Temperature Duration
□ Yes □ No Frequency
Freeze- Thaw cycles
Yes No Comments
Wheel
Pedestral
External loading
Static
□ Yes □ No
Impact
Liquids - Static
Peter H Emmons Liquids - Moving
Conditions during placement and curing?
Placement techniques?
Geometric configurations?
What will be the operating conditions during placement and curing?
Access
Checklist Wind Wind velocity
Substrate
Temperature
Surrounding environment
Substrate
Moisture
Environment
Turn-around time
Vibrations
Loading
Deflection
What is chosen placement technique?
What characteristics are required for placement?
Flowability
Non-sag
Set time
What is geometric configuration of repair ?
Exposed surface area
Thickness of repair
Size of exposed reinforcing bar
Spacing of reinforcing bars
Clearance between reinforcing bars and substrate
Peter H Emmons Clearance between reinforcing bars and exposed surface
Material selection process – Questions for
repair strategy

• THREE questions to be addressed for developing a

“repair strategy”
– What properties are required to meet the conditions and
requirements?
– What materials/systems will provide the required
properties?
– How to choose the materials/systems with optimum cost,
performance and risk?

Peter H Emmons
Establishing material properties – Level of
influence

• Service/ Exposure conditions

– Light(UV)
Surface effects
– Gases Repair material effects
– Liquid Reinforcement effects
– Temperature
Interface effects
– Loads Substrate effects

Peter H Emmons
Load-carrying properties

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
Bond to Loss of bond, ✓ Tensile × High internal
substrate delamination, and bond stress caused
detachment of repair from ✓ Low by thermal
substrate internal incompatibility
stress × Drying
shrinkage

Peter H Emmons
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/square-concrete-patch-cracked-floor-724703119
Load-carrying properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
Load carrying Does not carry load as ✓ Equal × Low or high
capacity as anticipated, overstressing modulus of modulus of
intended by either substrate or repair elasticity elasticity
engineer material with compared to
substrate substrate

Similar
deformation

Peter H Emmons
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283121702_Assessment_and_repair_of_the_bearing_structure_of_the_Gradiska_cultural_centre_after_fire/figures?lo=
1
Load-carrying properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
Load carrying Carries load initially, but over ✓ Extremely × High
capacity as time the repair material low compression
intended by relaxes under creep compression creep
deformation creep
engineer

Dissimilar
deformation

Peter H Emmons
Load-carrying properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
Load carrying Drying shrinkage → ✓ Extremely × Shrinkage
capacity as reduction in volume → loses low Drying
intended by contact → reducing its shrinkage
engineer ability to carry compressive
loads

Peter H Emmons
Service/exposure properties

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
Temperature Shrinkage stresses cause ✓ Equal × Unequal
changes cracking in repair material thermal thermal
ºC coefficient coefficient to
to substrate substrate

Peter H Emmons
Service/exposure properties

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties

Temperature ✓ Equal × Unequal

changes thermal thermal
ºC coefficient coefficient to
to substrate substrate

Peter H Emmons
Service/exposure properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
Temperature Shrinkage stresses in repair ✓ Low × High
changes in material causes cracking exotherm exotherm
repair ºC during during
material placement placement
during and cure and cure
placement

Peter H Emmons
Service/exposure properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties

Atmospheric Corrode reinforcing steel , ✓ Low × High

gases and disintegrate cement matrix permeability permeability ,
exposure to at surface cracking in
moisture Moisture conditions or internally repair
no cracks material

Peter H Emmons
Service/exposure properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
UV exposure Change in mechanical ✓ High UV × Low UV
properties of repair material, resistance resistance
changes to modulus of at surface
elasticity, waterproofing
characteristics

Peter H Emmons
http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Epoxyhtm/epox12m.htm
Service/exposure properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected these
requirements) (undesirable response) properties
Chemical Moisture conditions ✓ Low × High
contact Corrode reinforcing steel permeability permeability ,
at surface cracking in
or internally repair
no cracks material

Disintegrate cement matrix

✓ Chemical × Lack of
resistance to
chemical
substance at
surface or resistance
internally

Peter H Emmons
P. Paramasivam; Manu Santhanam; PCA; https://theconstructor.org/concrete/types-sulphate-attack-concrete/5266/; https://civilblog.org/2015/02/27/how-to-
protect-concrete-from-sulphate-attack/
Service/exposure properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable response)
Freeze thaw cycle
Moisture Disintegration of cement ✓ Low × High
conditions, matrix Permeability permeability
saturation ºC at surface or
internally

Peter H Emmons
External loads/Properties

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Moving Erosion and abrasion of ✓ High density × Low Density
liquids surfaces ✓ High × Low
compressive compressive
✓ High Tensile × Low Tensile

✓ High Density × Low Density

Moving
✓ High × Low
liquids and
compressive compressive
suspended
✓ High Tensile × Low Tensile
solids

Peter H Emmons
External loads/Properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Vehicles Abrasion damage to ✓ High density × Low Density
wheels surface ✓ High × Low
compressive compressive
strength strength

• Peter H Emmons
• https://www.alamyimages.fr/photo-image-arriere-plan-de-beton-patine-erode-ou-la-texture-de-l-image-35114458.html
External loads/Properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Impact Edge spalling at ✓ High × Low
joints compressive , compressive,
tensile and tensile and
bond strength bond strength
✓ tensile
anchorage into
substrate

Peter H Emmons
External loads/Properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Impact Spalling and loss of ✓ High Tensile × Low Tensile
bond strength, internal strength
tensile
reinforcement
✓ High compressive × Low
strength compressiv
✓ Low modulus of e strength
elasticity × High
✓ High bond modulus of
strength, tensile elasticity
anchorage into × Low bond
substrate strength

Peter H Emmons
Constructibility properties

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Constructibility Turn around time ✓ Rapid strength × Slow strength
gain gain

Peter H Emmons
Constructability properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Constructibility Flowability ✓ High Slump × Low Slump

✓ Small × Large
aggregate, aggregate ,
fines, round Lack of fines,
shape angular shape

Peter H Emmons
Constructibility properties (contd.)

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Constructibility No sag ✓ High internal × Low internal
cohesion, high cohesion, high
adhesive grip adhesive grip

✓ Simple × Complex
Forgiving
Formulation formulation
“ Murphy’ s Law” redundant × dependent
reactions

Peter H Emmons
Appearance properties

Goal Result if the wrong Look for these Avoid these!

(Performance material is selected properties
requirements) (undesirable
response)
Appearance Cracking ✓ Low drying × High drying
of surface shrinkage , shrinkage
and drying flexible surface
shrinkage membrane

Cracking ✓ Low exotherm × high exotherm

of
surface ✓ Low surface × High surface
at plastic water loss water loss
stage during during
placement placement

Peter H Emmons
Summary of material requirements

Drying shrinkage
Surface repair
of repair
materials needs materials affects
dimensional
stability

Bond with Dimensional Basic

substrate stability
Cracking,
Possible results
Spalling, and
if excessive
Delamination
Load Durability to shrinkage stress
occurs
carrying service
capacity conditions
Loss of carrying
capacity Constructability Corrosion of
embedded
reinforcing steel
+
Appearance
Peter H Emmons
Summary

• Material selection
– User performance requirements
– Load carrying requirements
– Service/exposure condition
– Placement techniques
• Material properties
– Load carrying properties
– Service/exposure properties
– External loads/properties
– Constructibility properties
– Appearance
References

• Emmons, P. H. (1993), Concrete Repair and Maintenance Illustrated,

R.S. Means Company, Inc.,
• Radonjanin, V., Malesev, M. and Folic, R. (2014), Assessment and
repair of the bearing structure of the Gradiska cultural centre after fire,
technical Gazette 21, 435-44.
• Mangat, P.S. and Limbachiya, M.C. (1997), Repair material properties
for effective structural application, Cement and Concrete Research, Vol.
27, No. 4, pp. 601-617.
• Wood, J.G.M. (1989), Proceedings of Structural Faults Repairs, Vol. 2,
London,pp 23 l-236.
• Cabrera, G. and Hasan, A.S. (1997), Performance properties of concrete
repair materials, Construction and Building Materials, Vol. I1 No. 5-6, pp.
283-290.