Concrete:

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse aggregates
mixed with water which hardens with time. In the Seismic Retrofitting work, concrete is used for the
construction of column jacketing, beams jacketing, RC Wall insertion and sub-structure mainly. The
concrete for seismic retrofitting work is the same as used for new building construction and the
specification in BNBC and PWD Book of specification shall be followed. Retrofitting work is generally
performed in very constraints conditions and there is some restriction for concrete casting with
consistency for concreting into narrow space. Due to the constraint conditions and narrow space the
produced concrete should be more flowable. Aggregate size and Water cement ratio plays an important
role which influences various properties such as workability, strength and durability. Adequate water
cement ratio and well graded stone chips are required for production of workable and flowable concrete.
For the retrofitting work, it is desirable to use a slightly smaller size of coarse aggregate than new
building construction as there are major restrictions on concrete casting and consolidation in retrofitting
work. Nominal mix is used for retrofitting construction works because of small volume of concrete
requirement and common mix are in the proportion of 1:1.5:3. The contractor should conduct a trial mix
for confirming the conformance the requirement of design specification with submit data on materials and
mixture proportion with supporting test results.
Steel Rebar
Steel reinforcement are steel bars that are provided in combination with plain cement concrete to make it
reinforced concrete. Reinforcement shall be deformed reinforcement and conformed the following
specifications: ASTM A 615/ ASTM A 616/ ASTM A 617/ ASTM A
706. Steel rebar material shall be the same as used for new building construction and specification shall
be as indicated in BNBC and PWD Book of Specification. The steels that are of use are those whose
carbon content does not exceed 0.85%. Structural steels and reinforcement bars have a carbon content of
0.25 ％ . Deformed reinforcing bars with a specified yield strength fy exceeding 60,000 psi shall be
permitted and complied with Structural Welding Code (ANSI/AWS D1.4). This allows them to have
ductility, weld ability and high yield strength. When welding of reinforcing bars is required, the
weldability of the steel and compatible welding procedures need to be considered including criteria to
qualify welding procedures. the selection of re-bars for construction should be obeyed to the specification
which is provided in the design drawing.
Reinforcement bars should be free from rust, dust and oil or any other material that can disrupt the bond
between the steel bars and concrete. Reinforcement should be used as soon as possible from the moment
it is received on site. Where reinforcement has been kept for some time and has a little rust, the rust
should be cleaned. Rust can be removed by powered wire brush discs. When positioning reinforcement, it
is tied together using annealed wire of 1.6 mm or 1.25 mm diameter. Spacer blocks and chairs are used to
maintain concrete cover and keep the reinforcement in its rightful place.
Major tests for steel bars are those that measure tensile strength and elasticity. The tensile test establishes
whether the tensile strength of the bar satisfies the requirements of the design drawing prepared by
structural engineer. The elasticity test is to establish that the bars are not brittle. The engineer may request
a copy of the mill certificates or catalogs that come with the stocks of reinforcement from its factory in
order to check on properties of the steel bars.
ANCHORING ADHESIVE FOR POST-INSTALLED ANCHOR
Anchoring Epoxy resin is the major type of structural adhesive and engineering adhesive used in the
applications of retrofitting work and has high-performance bonding strength. During retrofitting work, to
affix the rebar with previously casted concrete epoxy resin anchorage is used as per design guideline. This
chemical anchor is a kind of flexible adhesive that gains adequate strength in between concrete and rebar
which is necessary for medium or high load structural projects. Adhesive to be used for anchoring stud-
type anchors consisting of threaded steel rod, nut, and deformed reinforcing bar etc. as indicated in
drawings and specifications shall be epoxy adhesive conforming ASTM C881 Type I, II, IV and V, Grade
3, Class B and C. There are two types of epoxy resin anchorages are found Hybrid resin (Most often used
in dry conditions as it cannot be hardened if it is in contact of water) and Pure resin (Pure epoxy is
generally used in submerged and wet conditions as it has no effect on the water for hardening issues). In
the construction sites epoxy adhesive is used on the basis of the site conditions and there are three site
conditions dry, wet and submerged. The selection of the epoxy materials will depend on the site
condition. Adhesive shall be a cartridge type, two-component, solid epoxy- based system dispensed and
mixed through a static mixing nozzle supplied by the manufacturer. Acceptable installation and
performance temperature ranges shall be verified with manufacturer’s literature prior to installation.