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7 Common Design Faults Causing

Damage to Concrete
Home / How To Guide / Detailing Guide / 7 Common Design Faults Causing Damage
to Concrete

There are number of common design faults that lead to the

damage of concrete and hence the capacity of the structural
member would be reduced. In adequate structural design,
inadequate cover, improper joint detailing, incorrect placement
of embedments in concrete, and improper connection details are
most common design faults that concrete buildings have
experienced. It is important for the designers that be aware of
these design faults in order to prevent concrete damage in the
future.

1. Inadequate Structural Design

Insufficient structural design makes structural members to
support loads that are well above the design loads. cracking of
concrete because of torsion and shear stress and spalling of
concrete due to high compression stress are indicators of
inadequate structural design. In order to specify inadequate
design as a cause of damage, it is required to compare the
location of the damage with the types of stresses that should be
present in the concrete.

For instance, if spalls are present on the underside of a simply

supported beam, high compressive stresses are not present and
inadequate design may be eliminated as a cause. However, if the
type and location of the damage and the probable stress are in
agreement, a detailed stress analysis would be required to
determine whether inadequate design is the cause or not.
Inadequate design is best prevented by thorough and careful
review of all design calculations

2. Inadequate Concrete Cover

If the cover to reinforcement is not sufficiently provided in the
construction drawing as per the environmental exposure as
suggested by the standard codes, steel reinforcement would
corrode due to permeability of moisture into the concrete. This
also becomes cause for freeze-thaw deterioration of concrete.

Due to the corrosion in steel reinforcement, the volume of

corroded steel increases inside the concrete which may cause
cracks in the concrete and spalling of concrete may take place.
ACI 318-14 section 20.6.1.3 provides minimum concrete cover
requirement for cast in place, prestressed, and precast concrete
of various structural members.

Fig. 1: Concrete Damage Due to Inadequate

Concrete Cover

3. Incorrect Placement of Embedments

in Concrete
This is also the most common type of error which may occur in
the detailing of concrete. Placement of embedment in right
location and position is important to prevent damage to
concrete.

Embedded metals, electrical conduits or outlet boxes should not

be near the exterior surfaces of the concrete structure. Cracks
may develop over and around the embedment which may lead
to damage of concrete due to corrosion and freeze thaw effect.

4. Detailing of joints
Detailing of joints in drawings for concrete structure is
substantially crucial. Joints allow the concrete to expand and
contract as temperature changes. It also allows the concrete to
transfer loads through joints. Detailing of contraction joints,
expansion joints, and construction joints for concrete structure
is needed to prevent any kind of damage that may occur.

Details of reinforcement, types of materials to be used, right

placement of joining materials shall be clearly specified to
prevent any error that may occur at site during construction.
Concrete slabs constructed with insufficient or too narrow
expansion joints can cause serious damage to bridge deck
surfaces, dam roadways, and the floors of long, steeply sloping,
south facing spillways where the large temperature changes
occur on daily and seasonal basis.

5. Improper connection details

Improper connection details between concrete members such as
beams, columns, and slabs can lead to damage of concrete
structure. If the detailing of connecting members at the junction
is not proper, the load transfer from one member to the other
may not be as expected from the design. As a result, concrete
member may deflect or suffer durability issues during the
occupancy of the structure; may cause the structure unfit for
use.

Fig. 2: Improper Connection Detail

6. Reinforcement Detailing
Reinforcement detailing errors like development length of bars,
and lapping methods of reinforcement for the given size may
also cause trouble to the concrete structure. If the contractor is
not aware of these things, then the proper placement of
reinforcement in concrete is not done which may cause damage
to the structure during its service.

Poor detailing of reinforcement may lead to localized

concentration of high stress in structural member. Structural
failure, concrete cracking, and seepage through structural
element are signs of improper reinforcement detailing.

7. General and Special Notes

General and special notes on drawing shall be provided for
whatever is assumed during design. If any assumption has been
made in case of any details not available, then that should be
mentioned in the drawing, so that contractor or supervisor at
site while construction can verify the assumptions made and in
case of any changes required, structure can be redesigned and
detailed.

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About Madeh Izat Hamakareem

Madeh is a Structural Engineer who works as Assistant Lecturer in
Koya University. He is the author, editor and partner at
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