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American Concrete Institute
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ACI PRC-364.6-22
TechNote

CONCRETE REMOVAL IN REPAIRS INVOLVING

CORRODED REINFORCING STEEL-TECHNOTE
Keywords: t:-~1rbonation: cblol'ide content: concrete removal; corrosion: reinforc.ing steel: repair; ring anode effect; surface preparation: undercutting.

Introduction
The long-term perfonnance of concrete repair intended to address corrosion of embedded reinforcing steel is influenced
by the depth of repair and the condition of the substrate concrete surrounding the repair area. The extent of concrete removal
should be adjusted in accordance with the degree and nature of distress affecting the member or structure, while taking into
account the concrete condition, the structural design, and the applied loads.

Question
\1/hen corroded reinforcing steel is encounte,·ed in a repair, should the bar be undercut? How far should the bar be exposed
along its length?

Answer
Undercutting is defined as concrete removal all around the circumference of a reinforcing bar to allow it to be encapsulated in
repair material (/\Cl 562). In genera l, when corroded reinforcing steel is encountered in a repair, it should be undercut, leaving
in all directions a clear distance ofat least 0.75 in. (19 mm) or 0.25 in. (6 mm) larger than the dimension of the maximum
size aggregate in the repair matc1ial, whichever is greater (ACI 546R). 1n addition, concrete removal along the length of rein-
forcing steel should continue unci l the bar is free from corrosion products that inhibit bond and no cracks or dclamination in the
surrounding concrete arc visible, extending a minimum of 6 in. (150 mm) OCRl 3 I0.1R). A licensed design professional (LOP)
should review all the rclcvam information available on the strucrure (such as condition assessmem, design, and loads) prior w
specifying that reinforcing steel be undercut in repair areas. Representative field observations by the LDP are recommended
during the repair work, especially io cases involving large removals of concrete, removal around multiple reinforcing bars, and
removal in highly stressed areas.

Discussion
\1/hen a ponion of the reinforci ng steel is re-embedded in a chlo1ide-free repair material while the other portion remains in
contact with existing chloride-contaminated, carbonated concrete, or both, corrosion may be initiated and develop rapidly in
areas adjacent to the repair (Fig. 1). This condition is often referred to as the "anodic ring effect'' or "halo effect." To avoid
creating an environment where part of the circumference is depassivated and another part is still passive, a combination that
will promote accelerated COll'Osion. it is conunon practice to completely remove concrete around coll'oded reinforcing steel
when performing repairs.
The size of the repair should be based on both technical
CltLONDE COlflAllltlATED CHJ3111oit l&Mml
and economic considerations . If corroded reinforcement in t:OIICRm
the repair is exposed and found to have corrosion products
that inhibit bond, is noLfirmly bonded to the surrounding
concrete, or more than half of the reinforcement bar is
exposed, it is recommended to undercut the affected bar(s)
(Fig. 2). This provides optimal conditions for a durable
repair, such as all-around clearance for clean ing of reinforce- POTBmA1. DIFFEIIENCI: BEIWEEN PATillUIND ~
CONTAMINATED CONCRETE RESULTS IN
ment and a mechanical attachment bcrwcen the reinforcing ACCfl fllATED CORROSION
bar and the repair material (ACI 546R; lCRl 310.IR). As
shown in Fig. 3, a recommended repair practice requires the
clear space behind the reinforcing steel should not be less
than 0.75 in. ( 19 mm} or 0.25 in. (6 mm) plus the dimen-
sion of the maximum size aggregate in the repair material, Fig. I- Anodic rir,g corrosion in concrere repairs. (Image
whichever is larger (ACI 546R; ICR I 310. 1R). In addition, courfe~y of Vector Corrosion Technologies Ltd.)
concrete removal along the length of the reinforcing steel
2 Concrete Removal in Repairs Involving Corroded Reinforcing Steel-TechNote

s hould continue until there is no further cracking or delamination in the concrete and the rein forcing steel is free from corrosion
products that inhibit bond. As a good practice, the repair area should extend a minimum of 6 in. (152 mm) beyond the actual
dela111inated concrete (ICRJ 310. 1R).
In tbe decision regarding the extent of concrete to be removed, consideration should be g iven to tl1e chloride ion concentra-
tion, extent of carbonation, or both, in the sun·ounding concrete. There is a likelihood of continuing corrosion whenever-at
the reinforcing steel level-the chloride content exceeds a threshold value or concrete is carbonated. It is difficult to establish
a single critical chloride concentration, as it varies depending on the concrete constin,ents and exposure conditions. However,
threshold values as low as 0.20% in acid-soluble chlorides by weight of cement may be enough in some cases to trigger uncoated
re in forcing steel con·osion (ACI 222R). It is desirable to re111ove chloride-contaminated concrete, carbonated concrete, or both,
arotmd corroded reinforcing steel when pe1forming repa irs, a lthough complete removal is not feasible in all situations.
Ideally, any corrosion products on the reinforcing steel that may affect the bond with the repair material should be removed
w hen performing repairs. However, in so111e situations, it may be d iffic ult to re111ove corrosion products along the full length
or circumference of the contaminated steel (for example, congestion of reinforcement, access limitations, load considerations,
or other factors).
~'hen encountering s uch situations where contaminated concrete, undesirable co1Tosion products over the reinforcing steel,
or both, cannot be removed, it may be possible to reduce the risk of the balo effect by including supplemental corrosion
mitigation strategies into the repair design. Supplementa l corrosion mitigation strategies that might be considered include
galvanic cathodic protection (GCP), impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP), e lectrochemical chlo,ide extrnction (ECE),
and the use of migrating corrosion inhibitors (AC! 222R;
ICRI 5 LO. IR). l n some cases of advanced corrosion resulting
in section loss, it may be appropriate 10 replace the concrete
a long the entire length of the member to ensure a successful
long-term repair. Information on the need for replacing bars
in case of section loss, which is beyond the scope of this
document, can be found in ACI 364. !OT.
Prior to specifying that reinforcing steel be undercut and
theexteot of concrete removal in repair areas, an LDP should
review the reinforcing s teel details, the member geometry,
and the applied loads, in addition to the relevant information
collected in the condition assessment (corrosion, delami-
nation, spalling, chloride contam ination, and carbonation).
Undercutting of reinforcing steel can result in buckling of
the reinforcemem when compressive stresses are present,
and the reinforcing steel is insufficiently confined by ties or
Fig. ]-Typical concrete removal <uv,md reinforcing steel. the surrounding concrete. Buckling of reinforcing steel can

Corroded reinforcing steel should be fully exposed by

undercutting to sound concrete beneath affected bars

Corroded reinforcing steel

T1. =:~;==~~ Minimum clearance is the largest value

of:{¼ in. (19 mm)
max. aggregate size +¼in. (6 mm)

All exposed steel and concrete surfaces should be deaned lo

remove corrosion and other bond~nhibiting materials

Fig. 3- Remo,•a/ ofcnncretefrom around rein.forcing steel (adap,edjinm /CR/ 310. 1R).

rci'ciJ American Concrete Institute - Copyrighted @Material - www.concrete.org

 Concrete Removal in Repairs Involving Corroded Reinforcing Steel-TechNote 3

occur suddenly with no warning. Appropriate care should be exercised in removing concrete near highly stressed zones of
s1rucrures such as areas adjacem 10 pos1-1ensioning 1endoo anchor zones or column cores. In that respect, ii is recom,nended
1ha1 1he LDP provide guidance in the repair design documents and observe reprc.sen1a1ive concrete removal work as it is being
performed a1 the lime of repair, particularly when large-scale concrete removal is required, where muhiple adjacent reinforcing
bars are involved or whenever concrete removal is anticipated in highly stressed areas. Shoring may be required to stabi lize d1e
member before concrete removal can begin.

References
American Concrete J11stit11te
ACT 222R-19-Guide to Protection of Metals in Concrete Against Corrosion
ACJ 364. IOT-14-Rehabilitaiion of Structure with Reinforcemem Section Loss
ACJ 546R-1 4-Guidc to Concrete Repair
AC! 562-19-AsscssmcnL Repair. and Rehabili1a1ion of Existing Concrete Structures-Code and Commentary

!11ter11atio11al Concrete Repair Institute

lCRI 310.1 R-2008- Guidc for Surface Preparation for the Repair of Deteriorated Concrete Re.suiting from Reinforcing
Steel Corrosion
lCRT 5 10.1R-20 13-Guide for Electrochemical Techniques to l'vlitigate the Corrosion of Steel for Reinforced
Concrete Structures

Reported by ACI Committee 364

Benoit Bissonnette, Chair Paul E. Gaudette, Secrernry
Randa I M. Beard Ashok M. Kakade Consult:ing Members
Ryan Alexander Carris Keith E. Kesner Robert V. Gevecker
uury D. Church Job□ S. Lund Emory L. Kemp
Bruce A. Collins Marjorie M. Lynch \VeiIan Song
Timothy R. v.r. Gillespie Surendra K. Manjrekar Alexander M. Vaysburd
Fred R. Goodwin James E. McDonald Stephen A. Johanson
Pawan R. Gupta Murat B. Scyidoglu K. Nam Shiu
Ann Harrer Kyle D. Stanish Dela Thaonabala
John L. Hausfeld David A. VanOekcr \Villia111 F. \Veseon
Charles J. Hookham David W. \Vhi1more
Liying Jiang

ACI TechNotes arc intc-11ded fo..- re fo rence for 1he design and tonstructio n of concrete structures. This d ocumcnl is intended for the use or individuals who
arc competent 10 evaluate the significance and limitations of its conten1 and who will accep1 responsibility for the application of the information it contains.
11,e Americ.an Concrete Institute disclaims any and all n.~ponsibility for the accuracy of the content and shall nO[ be liable for nny loss or da,nage arising
therefrom. Reference to this document shall not be made in conlract documents.

ACI PRC-364.6-22 was adop1ed and published July 2022.

Copyright V 2022, American Concrete Institute.

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