NL4 Notes Concrete Repair

Hong Kong Polytechnic University BRE326 Maintenance Technology & Management
Department of Building & Real Estate Topic : Concrete Repair
CONCRETE REPAIR
“Concrete has the potential of almost unlimited life, provided that it is properly designed and
maintained”. However, if any error happens during the production process or due to misuse or poor
maintenance of the concrete structure, its life will be reduced substantially. If this is happened, concrete
repair will have to be introduced in order to improve the performance of the concrete.
What are the Performance Requirements of a Good Concrete Repair System?

1. Durable
• the repair materials should be at least as durable as the substrate concrete
• durability should also match with the expected life of building
2. Protection of Reinforcement
• the concrete cover protects the steel reinforcement from the environment and therefore
the repair materials should also perform the same function
• in case the steel reinforcement is being attacked, the repair system must prevent further
attack of the steel bars
Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 1 of 18

3. Good Bonding with Substrate

• good bonding with the substrate is necessary
• usually the surface of the substrate requires treatment, e.g. grit blasting, before the repair
material is applied
• special bonding agents may also be required e.g. epoxy resin
4. Dimensional Change Compatible with the Substrate

• the initial dimensional change (e.g. drying shrinkage) should be minimum
• subsequent movements (moisture, thermal movement, creep, modulus of elasticity, etc.)
need to be compatible with the substrate

5. Easy Application / Constructibility

• the repair materials should be easily mixed and applied
• should also have the appropriate viscosity, particularly when they are applied to fill in
narrow gaps or cracks, or have high flowability if being pumped
• also with good adhesion, especially important for repair of soffit of beam or slab
6. Matching Appearance
• the appearance of the repair materials should match with the surrounding finishes
How to Select the Most Appropriate Repair System?

1. Position of Repair
• the factor of gravity should be taken into consideration, horizontal or vertical, surface or
underside, etc.
• confined or narrow areas may also be a consideration factor which requires the access of
workers or machines
2. Environment
• different materials or methods should be used when repairing dry areas or areas where
water leakage is continuous
3. Cost
• Total Cost = labour cost + material cost + access + plant + miscellaneous
• access cost may sometimes be the highest particularly for repair on the external façade
• for some specialised repair method, trained and skilful personnel is required which will
incur higher labour cost
4. Appearance
• if the appearance of the repair area differs substantially with the surrounding areas, other
finishes may need to be applied e.g. paint
• not necessary if the area is hidden e.g. inside the suspended ceiling void
5. Expected Lifespan / Proposed Maintenance Cycle of Building

• the durability of the repair material should match with the expected lifespan of the
building or the proposed future maintenance cycle (e.g. 10 year overhaul maintenance
cycle)
6. Future Movement
• if rigid material is applied to a live crack, then either the repair material will fail or new
cracks will develop
• only flexible repair materials should be used to seal live cracks
Materials Available for Repair Mortar (Reinstatement Mortar)

Repair mortars are frequently used to repair small area of defective concrete. They can either be site
batched or pre-bagged. The former one is more economical but the latter possesses the advantage of
better quality control and guaranteed mixing ratio. For repair larger area and deeper area, small size
aggregate can be added to improve its strength and reduce the shrinkage.
1. CEMENT BASED MATERIALS

1.1 Cement/Sand Mortars or Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete

➢ usually waterproof additive is added to reduce the permeability of mortar/concrete
➢ advantages:
 properties almost identical with concrete substrate and surrounding finishes
 inexpensive
 good fire protection
➢ disadvantages
 high surface permeability if untreated
 higher shrinkage for cement/sand mortar
 poor adhesion to substrate (bonding agent may be required on the substrate before repair
material is applied)
 weak tensile strength
1.2 Polymer Latex Modified Cement/Sand Mortar or Portland Cement Concrete

➢ polymer – synthetic organic materials including plastics, resins, rubbers, sealants, etc.
➢ polymer is added during the mixing process of mortar or concrete
➢ polymer acts as a water-reducing plasticiser (thus, lower water/cement ratio) and therefore
require less water to give a good workability
➢ therefore, lower shrinkage and lower permeability
➢ usually pre-packed, mix with water in specified proportion to give the reinstatement mortar
➢ advantages:
 less permeable
 better workability
 stronger bond to existing concrete
 better chemical resistance
 higher compressive and tensile strengths
 cement-based repair material, thus more compatible with concrete substrate
➢ disadvantages:
 higher cost than cement/sand mortar
 some polymers may react with specific chemicals
2. RESIN BASED MATERIALS

2.1 Epoxy Resins
➢ strength developed by chemical reaction between resins and a hardener (or called accelerator)
➢ cement-free, water-free but with sand and aggregate
➢ usually employed structurally
➢ advantages:
 very good bonding with both concrete and steel
 negligible shrinkage
 short curing time
 excellent strength (tensile, compressive and flexural)
 chemically inactive
 very low permeability (around 10% of concrete)
➢ disadvantages:
 poor fire resistance, loss of strength more readily with higher temperature
 may be attacked by organic solvents

 needs accurate proportioning of ingredients

 much more expensive than cement-based materials

 higher thermal movement than concrete (1.5 to 5 times of concrete, depends on
material properties)
2.2 Polyester Resins

➢ Performances close to epoxy resins but with the following exceptions:
 slightly cheaper than epoxy
 greater shrinkage and lower adhesion (therefore used for plugging)
 sets more readily than epoxy
 shorter service life than epoxy
Concrete Replacement - Procedures and Applications

The procedures involved in the repair of defective reinforced concrete are:
1. inspection and diagnosis
2. removal of defective concrete – loose, carbonated, chemically-contaminated concrete
3. cleaning existing reinforcement (e.g. rust stains) by blast cleaning; replacement of reinforcement
may be required in case of serious corrosion if necessary
4. protective primer to reinforcement – passivating effect e.g. cement slurry, epoxy resin or zinc-
rich paint
5. bonding agent (used to improve the bonding strength between the substrate and the new-applied
repair materials) to substrate and steel surfaces – slurry of polymer latex and cement or polymer
alone or epoxy resin
6. formwork (only if concrete pour is necessary)
7. repair concrete and mortar applied
8. curing
9. concrete surface coating, optional but preferable (used to insulate the repaired area from the
environment and to prevent the ingress of carbon dioxide, chloride, etc.)
❖ this method is commonly used in repairing spalled concrete due to corrosion of reinforcement as a
result of carbonation, honeycombed concrete, insufficient cover

steps
Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3
Fig 1 – clean reinforcement by grit blasting

Fig 2 – apply protection primer on reinforcement
Fig 3 – apply bonding agent on substrate to improve bonding between patching mortar and substrate
Concrete Repair - Methods
1) Hand Patching (Right photo) exam:compare the difference

Hand Patching is a popular method used for repairing small area.
➢ repair mortar is pressed into the treated area by hand
➢ each layer should not exceed 20mm thick, but thinner layer may
be required in the repairing of soffit
➢ each layer should be keyed so as to receive the next layer
key: roughen the surface to provide better bonding with each layer
2) Drypacking
Drypacking or plugging is a derivative of hand patching and is
normally applied by hand.
➢ low water cement mortar is applied followed by tamping or
ramming of the mortar in place produce a dense&compact mixture
➢ used to fill small and relatively deep areas, sometimes even with minor water leakage
➢ preparation – adjacent surface to be widened and undercut and a bonding coat of cement slurry to be
applied before drypacking

3) Sprayed Concrete
Sprayed Concrete is commonly used for repairing large surface area of moderate depths (50 – 100mm
deep), e.g. concrete repair after fire attack. The mechanism of this repair method is that the repair
concrete/mortar is propelled onto the repair surface by compressed air.
➢ excellent compaction can be achieved by the force of impact
➢ therefore, lower water-cement ratio can be used and thus reduce shrinkage and permeability
➢ acceptable surface appearance which needs further finishing if superior appearance is required
➢ crack control mesh is recommended mesh rein. distributes shrinkage
➢ used on vertical and overhead surfaces
➢ considerable loss of materials due to rebound, hence limiting its application in and around buildings
➢ common terms of description are:
Shotcrete – sprayed concrete: contains aggregate size > =10mm
Gunite – sprayed mortar: maximum aggregate size is < 10mm
➢ 2 mixing methods:
Dry-mix
❑ dry constituents are pumped to the ejection nozzle and water is added just before it is discharged

Spray Machine – Dry Method
Wet-mix
❑ constituents are mixed with water
thoroughly before they are conveyed to the
ejection nozzle
❑ advantages :
o quantity of water can be controlled at
the mixing stage
o thoroughly mixed
o less pollution – constituents may be
blown away in Dry-mix method
❑ disadvantages :
o less flexible: must be used within a
certain time after water is introduced
o viscosity cannot be adjusted according
to different application areas (e.g.
vertical or overhead surfaces)
higher operative skill needed to adjust the water content
finished surface is rough > need trowelling

Spray Machine – Wet Method Application of Sprayed Concrete
4) Preplaced Aggregate (Fig on the right))

➢ single-sized aggregate (25mm or larger)
is placed into the cavity under repair
➢ grout, of suitable mix design, is then
pumped into the cavity from the farthest
or lowest point in order to fill the spaces
between the aggregate
➢ no compaction required for high
flowability grout mix
➢ advantages: (1) minimize shrinkage
because higher proportion of aggregate
can be used; (2) less limitation on =wider choice
choice of aggregate size; (3) lower
chance of honeycomb
5) Poured Concrete
Poured Concrete is generally only used to
re-cast large area of concrete.
➢ similar to placement of conventional
concrete
➢ proper compaction method to be used:
external vibrator and/or internal vibrator
➢ formwork with air-pockets/letter-box allowing the pouring of concrete and/or insertion of vibrator
➢ aggregate size can be as conventional concrete (e.g. 20mm) but smaller size to be used for thinner
sections or congested reinforcement
➢ concrete mix to be designed with minimum bleeding and shrinkage - additives may be added to
achieve these purposes
➢ micro-concrete may be used which has low viscosity (easy-flow concrete)
o no compaction required
o flow to fill up all the gap even in congested reinforcement
o placed by pump or pour into shutter for auto-flow
o bonding agent may not be required because strong bond will be formed with substrate

External Reinforcing (Structural Strengthening)

External reinforcing is required when there is inadequate strength inside the existing concrete members,
e.g. under-design or over-loading. Usually, it is applied to structures with more severe structural
damage.
1) Stitching stress
➢ used when tensile strength is experienced across a major crack
new
➢ cracks may be formed elsewhere because of the stiffening of the major cracks
➢ the method cannot close up the crack but only prevent it from growing
➢ procedures
o parallel holes are drilled at both sides of crack in pair
o groove between each pair of the drilled holes are formed
o insert U-shaped reinforcing bars into the holes which span across the crack
o finally the holes are grouted with either epoxy or non-shrink grout
2) Prestressing Steel / External Post-tensioning

➢ post-tensioning technique is used
➢ mainly used for the repair of tensile members, e.g. beam used when beam overloaded/serious crack
➢ careful design and calculation on the positioning of tendons and stress magnitude
➢ special equipment (or specialist contractor) is required
➢ tendons or strands are fixed to the existing structure: one end with end bearing plate and tensile
stress is applied on the other end
➢ increase the tensile strength of the existing element (at the bottom of beam for simple support
structures)

3) Steel Plate Bonding

➢ used to reinforce the concrete elements under tension e.g. beam
➢ new material (carbon fibre) may be used instead of steel plate
➢ again, it will be installed at the bottom of beam/slab to strengthen its tensile strength

➢ mild steel plates of calculated cross-sectional area are fixed to the concrete element by bolts and
bonded with appropriate bonding agent e.g. epoxy resin
➢ corrosion protection is required e.g. painting
➢ relatively cheap and fast repair method and does not increase the size of the member significantly
Protection of Reinforced Concrete from Further Deterioration

1. Coating
➢ protective coatings can be applied to the surface of concrete to reduce the rate of deterioration
➢ variety of paints, sealers and water-repellent treatments are available
➢ they are able to resist or reduce the ingress of carbon dioxide, chloride and water
➢ coatings of various types are available e.g. eposy resin, bituminous, acrylic resin, etc
➢ each coating has its own characteristics and may have different application conditions e.g. under
damp conditions, alkali resistance, etc. chemical resistance, UV resistance
➢ coating to reinforcement bar can also reduce the risk of corrosion e.g. epoxy coating, hot-dip
galvanizing
2. Cathodic Protection
➢ theory: corroding anodic (+ve) steel bar is made cathodic (-ve) by the supply of electrons from an
anode either fixed on the concrete surface or embedded inside the concrete
➢ the most effective way to prevent corrosion in chloride-contaminated concrete chloride-induced corrosion
➢ cannot recover the steel reinforcement but prevent it from further corrosion
➢ pre-requisite: the embedded steel reinforcement must be electrically continuous and connected
➢ commonly used in marine structures
➢ 2 types: Impress Current System and Galvanic Protection System
2.1 Impress Current System

positive&negative terminals helps provide electrons
cathode involves the gain of electrons
anode involves the loss of electrons
Steel bars are oxidized by losing electrons to water, oxygen or chloride
in an electrochemical process (corrosion).
by making the rebar cathodic, it absorbs electrons and reduce likelihood of corrosion
➢ direct current is applied to the steel reinforcement bar and make it as the cathode (negative) which
suppress the reaction of release of electrons
➢ an anode is applied to the concrete surface in order to make the concrete conductive
by metal mesh & metal paint (less durable)
mesh to be covered by
sprayed concrete
for better protection

gains electrons = cathode
supply of electrons
prevent corrosion
Typical Cathodic Protection System Arrangement
2.2 Galvanic Protection (Sacrificial Protection or Sacrificial Anode Protection)

➢ when 2 metals of different electro-potential are connected together, the metal with a higher electro-
potential (i.e. more active) will react more readily than the less active one
➢ the more active metal acts as the sacrificial anode and thus protects the less active metal from
corrosion
➢ steel reinforcement can be protected from corrosion by attaching a more active metal to it, e.g. zinc
➢ must ensure that the sacrificial anode is connected securely to the reinforcement bar by a electrical
conductor
➢ each sacrificial anode has an effective cover area and may need more anodes so as to protect a larger
damage area
➢ wires may be connected to measure the current flow in order to monitor the protection status
metal wire connected between sacrificial anode and rebars > form flow of electrons
only cover certain effective area, more anodes for larger areas

Zinc Sacrificial Anode (circular case) attached to

Reinforcement Bar
3. Other Methods (unpopular because of higher cost and more advanced technology is required;
the technology is also under development for commercially application)
➢ Re-Alkalization – attempt to restore the alkalinity of concrete to above pH10 by means of electro-
osmosis
➢ Chloride Extraction/Removal – used to protect the steel from chloride-induced corrosion, by
means of electro-osmosis
Appendix – Example showing great varieties of repair materials available


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Hong Kong Polytechnic University BRE326 Maintenance Technology & Management

Department of Building & Real Estate Topic : Concrete Repair

What are the Performance Requirements of a Good Concrete Repair System?

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 1 of 18

3. Good Bonding with Substrate

4. Dimensional Change Compatible with the Substrate

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 2 of 18

5. Easy Application / Constructibility

How to Select the Most Appropriate Repair System?

5. Expected Lifespan / Proposed Maintenance Cycle of Building

Materials Available for Repair Mortar (Reinstatement Mortar)

1. CEMENT BASED MATERIALS

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 3 of 18

1.1 Cement/Sand Mortars or Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete

1.2 Polymer Latex Modified Cement/Sand Mortar or Portland Cement Concrete

2. RESIN BASED MATERIALS

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 4 of 18

 needs accurate proportioning of ingredients

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 5 of 18

 much more expensive than cement-based materials

2.2 Polyester Resins

Concrete Replacement - Procedures and Applications

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 6 of 18

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3

Fig 1 – clean reinforcement by grit blasting

Concrete Repair - Methods

1) Hand Patching (Right photo) exam:compare the difference

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 7 of 18

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 8 of 18

Spray Machine – Dry Method

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 9 of 18

Spray Machine – Wet Method Application of Sprayed Concrete

4) Preplaced Aggregate (Fig on the right))

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 10 of 18

External Reinforcing (Structural Strengthening)

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 11 of 18

2) Prestressing Steel / External Post-tensioning

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 12 of 18

3) Steel Plate Bonding

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 13 of 18

Protection of Reinforced Concrete from Further Deterioration

2.1 Impress Current System

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 14 of 18

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 15 of 18

gains electrons = cathode

Typical Cathodic Protection System Arrangement

2.2 Galvanic Protection (Sacrificial Protection or Sacrificial Anode Protection)

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 16 of 18

Zinc Sacrificial Anode (circular case) attached to

Appendix – Example showing great varieties of repair materials available

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 17 of 18

Edmond Wong (bsedmond@polyu.edu.hk) Page 18 of 18

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