Jacketing and Collars for Concrete Column

Beam Strengthening
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Jacketing and Collars for Strengthening of Concrete

Structures
Jacketing is the process whereby a section of an existing structural member is restored to
original dimensions or increased in size by encasement using suitable materials. A steel
reinforcement cage or composite material wrap can be constructed around the damaged section
onto which shotcrete or cast-in- place concrete is placed.

Collars are jackets that surround only for a part of a column or pier. These are usually used to
provide increased support to the slab or beam at the top of the column.

The form for the jacket consists of timber, corrugated metal, precast concrete, rubber, fiberglass,
or special fabric; and may be permanent in some cases. The form must be provided with spacers
to ensure equal clearance between it and the existing member.

Materials, like conventional concrete and mortar, epoxy mortar, grout, and latex-modified
mortar and concrete, are used as encasement materials. For jacketing, the void between the
form and the existing member is filled using pumping, tremie, or preplaced aggregate concrete.
Jacketing is particularly used for the repair of deteriorated columns, piers, and piles and may
easily be employed in underwater applications. The method is applicable for protecting concrete,
steel, and timber sections against further deterioration and for strengthening.

Permanent forms are preferred where protection against weathering, abrasion, and chemical
pollution is desired. The collar provides increased shear capacity for the slab, and it decreases the
effective length of the column. Architecturally collars are considered better than jacketing but
performing the same structural function.

Before applying jackets or collars, all deteriorated concrete must be removed, cracks must
be repaired, existing reinforcement must be cleaned, and surfaces must be prepared. The
surface preparation improves the bond of the newly placed materials with the existing structure,
which is difficult for underwater repairs. For underwater conditions, a plastic shell may be
applied at the splash zone to help minimize abrasion. A drawback of jackets and collars is that
they occupy space that was earlier available for other uses.