BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT FEB 2025

Concrete Repair Methods: Crack Repair Techniques

By Bhushan Mahajan

Concrete is a popular building material that is known for its strength and durability. However, over
time, concrete can develop cracks due to a range of factors such as changes in temperature,
shrinkage, or settling. Concrete cracks not only impact the appearance of structures but can also
lead to further damage if not repaired in a timely and appropriate manner.

Thankfully, there are various methods available to repair concrete cracks, ranging from simple DIY
solutions to more complex professional techniques.

In this article, we will explore some of the most common concrete repair methods including their
advantages, disadvantages, and applications.

Whether you are a homeowner looking to repair a minor crack in your driveway or a contractor
dealing with more significant structural damage, this guide will provide you with the knowledge you
need to choose the most effective concrete crack repair method for your needs.

Post Contents

Concrete Repair Methods

The following are the best Concrete Repair Methods,

1. Concrete Crack Repair by Epoxy Injections

The Epoxy Injection may be used to bond the cracks having greater than or equal to 0.05 mm
opening. This method is not suitable for crack that is active and if the cracks are large in number, or
when the water leakage cannot be controlled.

Epoxy Injections

In this method of concrete crack repair, the cracks on exposed concrete surfaces are sealed by
injecting epoxy under the concrete crack. However, it is essential to find and fix the major cause of
cracks before injecting the epoxy into the cracks otherwise the cracks will keep on emerging again
and again.
Problems such as leakages and silt contamination damage the efficiency of epoxy, therefore it is
recommended to fix these issues before injecting the epoxy to make it last longer.

The epoxy injection method of crack repairing requires a lot of discipline and skillful execution so you
need to be sure that the person executing the repairs knows his work.

Epoxy resin loses strength when exposed to fire or sustained elevated temperatures and fireproofing
protection is required for such structural repairs.

Read More: Which Cement Is Best For House Construction

2. Routing and Sealing

Routing and sealing the cracks is a much more common and much simpler method to repair cracks.
That said, it can be only used in cases where only remedial crack repairing is required and structural
repairs are not needed.

Routing and sealing of cracks in concrete can be used for inactive cracks not involving the restoration
of tensile strength. Under this method, the crack is enlarged along its exposed face and the V-shaped
groove is formed up to a minimum width of 6 mm and a depth of 6 to 25 mm.

This V-shaped groove is filled and sealed with suitable material. This is a Popular concrete crack
repair.

Routing and Sealing

Should be taken care of the width to depth aspect ratio when sealing the joint so that there is
enough room left for movement. While repairing roadway pavements, pouring hot tar within the
cracks is a simple and inexpensive method.

Be careful when using hot joint sealants and make sure that they bond with the concrete and do not
melt and flow under operating conditions.
Routing

The material used as the sealant can be any material that can balance cyclic expansion and
contraction and which does not become brittle with time, including epoxies, urethanes, silicones,
polysulfides, asphaltic materials, or polymer mortars. Cement grouts are not to be used due to the
chances of future cracking.

3. Stitching the Cracks

Stitching the Cracks

Stitching the Cracks is the easiest and long-lasting method of repairing concrete cracks. In this
method, a number of holes are drilled along the crack surface and stitched with metallic wire.
This metallic U-shaped wire is then passed through holes and anchored strongly in the holes with
grout or an epoxy-based system.

Stitching
Cracks

4. Drilling and Plugging

Drilling and Plugging

In this method, holes are drilled vertically in the cracks and a key is formed by passing down a grout.
The grout key drilled into concrete helps in preventing leakages.

A Concrete crack can be repaired by Gravity Filling, dry packing, overlay, surface treatments, etc.
selection of the method of repair depends on the nature of the cracks and whether a crack requires
remedial or structural repair.

This is method also known as Wall Crack Repair Method.

5. Grouting Method of Crack Repair

i) Portland Cements Grouting

In the case of gravity dams and concrete walls, large-sized cracks formed. They can be repaired by
filling them with Portland cement grout.

This grouting method is effective in stopping water leaks, but it will not structurally bond cracked
sections.

Gro
uting Method of Crack Repair

The procedure consists of,

1. Cleaning the concrete along the crack.

2. Installing built-up seats (grout mesh) at suitable intervals (to provide a pressure-tight
connection with the injection apparatus).

3. Sealing the crack between the seats with cement paint, sealant, or grout;

4. Flushing the crack to clean it and test the seal; and then grouting the whole area.

In this method, mixtures of grout may contain cement and water or cement plus sand and water,
depending on the width of the crack.
However, the water-to-cement ratio should be kept as low as practical to minimize shrinkage and
maximize strength. Other admixtures or water reducers may be used to improve the properties of
the grout.

For this treatment a manual injection gun may be used in case of small-volume crack filling and for
larger volumes, a pump should be used.

The good pressure should be maintained for several minutes after the group is filled over a surface
to ensure good penetration.

ii) Dry Packing

In the Dry packing method, the hand placement of a low water content mortar is done by tamping or
ramming the mortar into place to make intimate contact between the mortar and the existing
concrete.

Dry Packing

As we use the low water-cement ratio for grout mix, there are chances of little shrinkage, and the
patch remains tight and can have good quality concerning durability, strength, and water tightness.

The dry pack method can use for the small-sized crack of inactive nature. The dry pack method is not
suitable for filling or repairing active cracks.

Before applying grout by dry pack method the slot of 25mm x 25mm must open to a concrete
surface. The slot opening should be such that the base width is slightly greater than the surface
width.

The mortar should be prepared 30 min after mixing water to minimize chances of shrinkage and then
should be remixed before use. This mortar should be placed in layers about 3/8 in. (10 mm) thick.

Each layer should properly be compacted by a blunt stick or hammer, and the old layer should be
scratched to facilitate bonding with the next layer.

The repaired surface should be cured by using either water or a curing compound.