Maintenance of Concrete Structures: Modern concrete is a very durable construction material and, if properly proportioned and placed, will give very long service under normal conditions. Many concrete structures, however, were constructed using early concrete technology, and they have already provided well over 50 years of service under harsh conditions. Such concrete must be inspected(…)
Repair/Protection Guide
REPAIR OF POST CONCRETING DEFECTS IN STRUCTURES
The four essential features of a successful repair are: 1. Expediency: The longer the repair is left, the more work has to be done, and the less likely that the repair will blend in. 2. Cleanliness: when repairing concrete, care must be taken to remove any dirt or dust that will prevent the repair concrete(…)
GROUTING PROCEDURE FOR CRACKS IN CONCRETE
Procedure for cement grouting of cracks in concrete structures: Holes are drilled in structure along cracks and in an around hollow spots. If there are several cracks, holes can be drilled in a staggered manner at 500 to 750mm spacing in both directions covering adequately the area proposed to be grouted. Holes spacing can be (…)
CEMENT GROUTING FOR CRACKS IN CONCRETE AND MASONRY
Cement Grouting in cracks in concrete and masonry: Wide cracks, particularly in mass concrete abutments / piers and masonry substructures can be repaired by filling with portland cement grout. This method is effective in sealing the crack in concrete, but it will not structurally bond cracked sections. Applications of cement grouting: i) When cracks are(…)
REPAIR OF ACTIVE CRACKS IN CONCRETE
Methods of Repairing Active Cracks in concrete structures: 1. Drilling and Plugging through Crack: One of the approximate methods would be to drill holes normal to cracks, fill them with a suitable epoxy or epoxy-mortar formulation and then place reinforcement bars (of predetermined sizes and lengths) in them to stitch across the cracks. The bars (…)
REPAIR OF DORMANT CRACKS IN CONCRETE
Following are the Methods of Repair for Dormant Cracks in Concrete: 1. Sealing of Cracks: Sealing of cracks as stand alone repair should be used in conditions where structural repair is not necessary. Isolated cracks whether extending through the concrete section or partially into it, should be sealed at the concrete surfaces. For this a (…)
NEED AND TYPES OF INSPECTION OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES
NEED FOR INSPECTION OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES: Inspection is the first step towards any maintenance programme. The purpose of structural inspection can be classified as under: i) To provide assurance that the concrete structure is structurally safe and fit for it’s designed use. ii) To identify actual and potential sources of trouble at the earliest possible(…)
RETROFITTING OF RCC STRUCTURAL MEMBERS
Retrofitting of RCC structural members is necessary to prevent further distress in concrete. The retrofitting of RCC members should start with investigation and diagnosis of cracks and then by applying suitable retrofitting measures. Following are the steps involved in this process: 1. Investigation and diagnosis of cracks: (i) After the appearance of cracks in RCC(…)