REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

1. INTRODUCTION:

The process of formation of rust over the surface of

Reinforcing concrete structures deteriorate under attack from external elements
such as freeze-thaw damage and erosion. Particular concern today is the corrosion of the
reinforcing steel, which is affected mainly through carbonation and chloride attack. Of
particular concern today is the alkali silica reaction in the concrete and the corrosion of
the reinforcing steel. Bars of which are affected by alkalinity of Port land cement
concrete.
Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is the predominant factor in the
premature degradation of reinforced concrete, practical experience and observations
suggest that, although many RC structures are seen as badly deteriorated, characterized
by mass concrete cracking and spalling, they are still structurally sound. The reason for
this is attributed to the nature of the problem; the corrosion product exerts an expansive
stress on concrete the tensile strength of which is usually low. It is also partially due to
the fact that the safety factors used in structural design for strength are usually larger than
those for serviceability since the paramount importance of structural safety. As a result
,corrosion affected RC structures are more prone to cracking , incurring costs of repairs
and inconvenience to the public due to interruption. This gives rise to need for proper
repair of structures using the cost effective materials available.
Portland cement is made by burning constituents, which include lime in a kiln,
and grinding the result to a fine powder. This produces a highly alkaline material, which
reacts with water and hardens. When it is added to coarse and fine aggregate and mixed
with water the cement combines with the aggregate and hardened to form concrete. The
hardening process (hydration reaction) is complex and continues over many months if not
years, depending on the amount of water in the mix. Excess calcium hydroxide and other
alkaline hydroxides are present in the pores and solution of pH 12.0 to14.0 develops it is
this pore network and the solution it contains that are critical to the durability of the
concrete. A protective coating of oxides and hydroxides is provided on the surface of the
steel reinforcement known as a passive film that protects steel from corrosion when these

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

coatings are destroyed due to severe weathering conditions, leads to very serious
problems, which leads to corrosion of reinforced concrete structures.
Usually corrosion is caused due to, the presence of abundant amount of calcium
hydroxide and relatively small amount of alkali elements, such as potassium and Sodium
in concrete. When concrete structure is often exposed to atmosphere, chloride ions from
these will slowly penetrate into the concrete, the chloride ions will eventually reach the
steel and then accumulate to beyond a certain concentration level.

Fig1.1 shows the structure, which are affected by corrosion

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

2. CAUSES OF CORROSION OF (RC) SRUCTURES:

In order to understand the mechanism behind corrosion of reinforcing steel in
concrete, one has to know about the chemical reactions involved in it. In concrete, the
presence of abundant amount of calcium hydroxide and relatively small amount of alkali
elements, such as sodium and potassium, gives concrete a very high alkalinity with pH of
12 to 13. It is widely accepted that, at the early age of the concert, this high alkalinity
results in the transformation of a surface layer the embedded steel to a tightly adhering
film that is comprised of an inner dense spinal phase in orientation to the steel substrate
and an outer layer of ferric hydroxide. As long as this film is not disturbed, it will keep
the steel passive and protected from corrosion.
When a concrete structure is often exposed to atmosphere, chloride ions from
these will slowly penetrate into the concrete, mostly through the pores in the hydrated
cement paste. The chloride ions will eventually reach the steel and then accumulate to
beyond a certain concentration level, at which the protective film is destroyed and the
steel begins to corrode, when oxygen and moisture are present in the steel concrete
interface.
Once corrosion sets in on the reinforcing steel bars, it proceeds in electrochemical
cells formed on the surface of the metal and the electrolyte or solution surrounding the
metal, each cell is consists of a pair of electrodes (the anode and its counterpoint, the
cathode) on the surface of the metal, a return circuit, and an electrolyte. Basically, on a
relatively spot on the metal, the metal undergoes oxidation (ionisation), which is
accompanied by production of electrons, and subsequent dissolution. These electrons
move through a return circuit, which is a path in the metal itself to reach a relatively
catholic spot on the metal, where these electrons are consumed through reactions
involving substances found in the electrolyte.

Probably the most frequent cause of damage to reinforced concrete structures is

corrosion of reinforcement, and this is usually the result of carbonation of the concrete of

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

the chloride attack. Normally concrete is alkaline (pH12.5 or more) and a passivating
layer of oxide quickly forms on the surface of steel embedded in it, if the alkalinity falls
below about ph10 the passivating layer is destroyed and, in the presence of oxygen and
moisture, the steel will corrode .if chlorides are present in the concrete, passivation is lost
at a higher pH value, depending on the chloride ion concentration.
Carbonation occurs as a result of penetration of carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere. In the presence of moisture this forms carbonic acid, which neutralizes the
alkalinity of the cement matrix. The depth of penetration of carbonation into concrete is
proportional to square root of time so that, even if the surface layer of concrete
carbonates quickly, the rate of penetration will slow down with increasing depth .the
penetration rate depends also on the cement content and permeability of concrete, so that
an adequate depth of well compacted cover of good quality concrete will protect the
reinforcement for many years. Trouble occurs when the depth of cover is inadequate or
its quality is not what it should be. Carbonation penetrates more rapidly into dry than into
wet concrete, but both oxygen and moisture, corrosion of steel to occur. Consequently
reinforcement corrosion caused by carbonation is found most frequently in concrete
exposed to the weather.
With the restriction on chloride contents of materials that are laid down in present
day codes of practice, chloride induced corrosion of reinforcement occurs principally in
older structures or in those that are exposed to chloride containing materials such as sea
water or de-icing salts. It is not possible to specify a limiting chloride content below
which corrosion will not occur because a number of factors are involved. A survey by
building research establishment has suggested that corrosion is unlikely if the chloride
content of concrete is uniformly less than 0.4% by weight of cement and highly probable
if it exceeds 1%. The risk of corrosion depends partly on the variability of chloride
concentration with in a reinforced concrete element, on the hydroxyl ion concentration
and its variability, and the presence of oxygen and moisture without which corrosion will
not occur. The chemical composition of cement also has an effect, and chlorides that
enters the concrete after it has hardened as, for example, de-icing salts are more harmful
than those that are present in the concrete from the start as admixtures or contamination
of aggregates. This is so because a proportion of any chloride ions present in freshly

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

mixed concrete will combine with tricalcium aluminates in the cement and will not be
available for initiating corrosion.

Corrosion: Structural effects:

In the case of concrete structures the first direct effect of the reinforcement corrosion is
its section decreases due to the corroding process. Iron oxide (Rust) resulting reinforced
concrete structures and their effect induces internal stresses in the concrete, which may
lead to cracking or even spalling of concrete
Accordingly, reduction of structural capacity of reinforced concrete elements affected by
rebar corrosion is mainly due to following three main phenomena, which are direct
consequence of corrosion:
Reduction of section due to corrosion.
Reduction of bond strength.
Loss of concrete integrity due to cover cracking and spalling.

However corrosion of reinforcing steel can occur by two major situations, they include:

Carbonation

Chloride contamination.

Carbonation:
Carbonation is a process in which carbon dioxide from the atmosphere diffuses
through the porous concrete and neutralizes the alkalinity of concrete. The carbonation

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

process will reduce the pH to approximately 8 to 9 in which the oxide film is no longer
stable. With adequate supply of oxygen and moisture, corrosion will start. The
penetration of concrete structures by carbonation is a slow process, the rate of which is
determined by the rate at which carbon dioxide penetrates into the concrete. The rate of
penetration primarily depends on the porosity and permeability of the concrete. It is
rarely a problem on structures that are built with good quality concrete with adequate
depth of cover over the reinforcing steel.

Chloride contamination:
Chloride ions can enter into the concrete from the chloride containing admixtures
that are used to accelerate curing or from seawater in marine environment. If the
chlorides are present in sufficient quantity, they disrupt the passive film and subject
reinforcing steel to corrosion. The levels of chloride required to initiate corrosion are
extremely low. Field experience and research have shown that on existing structures
subjected to chloride ions, a threshold concentration of about 0.026% (by weight of
concrete) is sufficient to break down the passive film and subject the reinforcing steel to
corrosion. This equals to 260-ppm chloride.
The removal of the passive film from reinforcing steel leads to the corrosion
process. Chloride ions within the concrete are usually not distributed uniformly. The steel
areas exposed to higher concentrations of chlorides start to corrode, and breakdown of the
oxide film eventually occurs. In other areas the steel remains passive. The rate of
carbonation in concrete is directly dependent on the water cement ratio of the concrete
i.e., higher the ratio the greater is the depth of carbonation in the concrete.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Fig 2.1 shows the structures which are affected by corrosion

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

3. REPAIR AND REHABILITATION OF R.C.C.

STRUCTURES:
Structure repair and rehabilitating is a process whereby an existing structure is
enhanced to increase the probability that the structure will survive for long period of time
and also against earthquake forces. This can be accomplished through the addition of new
structural elements, the strengthening of existing structural elements, and/or the addition
of base isolators. Deterioration of concrete and corrosion of embedded reinforcement
structure might make the R.C.C structure structurally deficient. Corrosion can be
controlled to some extent by fixing of chloride or protective coating.
Economically, repair and strengthening are often the only viable solution.
Differently types of reinforcement require various demolition and surface preparation
techniques. Typically, structural deterioration of reinforced concrete members can occur
as surface scaling, spalling, cracking, corrosion of reinforcing steel, weathering, post
tension losses, deflection beam shortening, volume shrinkage and strength reduction.
Moisture, chlorides, carbonation, and chemical attack induce these; freeze thaw
disintegration, and sulfate attack, erosion and alkali aggregate reaction.
The rehabilitation measures includes epoxy mortar, epoxy bonding coat, epoxy
grout, polymer based bonding slurry and mortar, jacketing of columns, shotcreting, epoxy
grouting, cement grouting accordingly to the type of distress. The members load bearing
capacity, structural shape and location greatly influence material placement techniques
and material selection.
The techniques to achieve earthquake resistant design includes; adding base
isolators wrapping columns, strengthening footings, adding hinge restrainers, and
increasing the width of supports at abutments so that the superstructure will not fall off
the support. In repair and rehabilitation process good/sound concrete sharing the load
should not be removed for any reason, as is being done today.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

SURFACE PREPARATION FOR APPLICATION OF PATCH REPAIRS,

SEALERS AND COATINGS IN CONCRETE REPAIR
The main purpose of surface preparation is to provide maximum coating adhesion
and increase the surface area by increasing the roughness of the surface. Achieving an
adequate lasting bond between repair materials and existing concrete is a critical
requirement for durable concrete repair. Good surface preparation using proper concrete
removal methods and workmanship is the key element in a long-lasting concrete repair
technique.
1. Grouting Process:
Grouting is the process of placing a material into cavities in concrete or masonry
structures for the purpose of increasing the load bearing capacity of a structure, restoring
the monolithic nature of structural member, filing voids around pre cast connections and
steel base plates, providing fire stops, stopping leakages, placing adhesives and soil
stabilization.
Methods of application normally used include: hand pumps, piston pumps, single
and plural component pumps, gravity and dry packing placement, micro capsules and
single component pressurized cartons.
2. Guniting process:
Guniting is an effective technique, which has been extensively used in the
rehabilitation of structurally distressed RC members. There have been cases of heavy
rusting of the mesh in the form of powder or in the form of a sheet coming out. Destressing before restoration is possible only in the case of overhead tanks which can be
restored when the tanks are empty. The guniting technique suffers from other drawbacks
like dust and noise nuisance.

The following points need to be kept in mind for better results of guniting:

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Coating of existing as well as new bars by zinc rich epoxy primer to guard against
corrosion.

Mesh reinforcement is not advised.

3. Application of epoxy resins to strengthen the structural member with external

reinforcement
In these methods of strengthening, an epoxy adhesive normally consisting of
two components- a resin and a hardener is used to bond steel plates to overstressed
regions of RC members. Normally, the steel plates are located in the tension zone of
concrete to enhance the flexural capacity. The plates can also be placed in the
compression and shear regions for enhancing the axial and shear- capacities of the RC
structural elements. As adhesive provides a continuous shear connection between the RC
member and the external plates, a concrete-adhesive-steel composite structural member is
developed to cater for the additional live load effects on the structures.

Fig 1. Cleaning corroded bars by

mechanical wire-brush

Fig 2. Application of protective coating

on steel

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

4. CONVENTIONAL STRENGTHENING METHODS:

4.1 Section Enlargement/jacketing:
In this method the entire height of the column section is increased and a cage of
additional main reinforcement bars with shear stirrups is provided right from the
foundation as per requirement of additional load, etc. However there are many instances
where the column section is increased with additional reinforcement bars only on one
face, and that too starting from the floor slab level of particular floor and only up to
height of deterioration of the column. The enlargement should be bonded to existing
concrete to produce a monolithic member a composite system, Cement mortar is used for
these enlargements.
A later development was the use of sprayed concrete and mortar, the process
referred to as shotcrete. The process was introduced in 1911 at the time when innovations
in reinforced concrete technology were evolving. The widest use of section enlargement
is in bridge deck rehabilitation and strengthening.
The section enlargement method is relatively easy to construct and
economically effective. The disadvantages of this method are a high risk of corrosion of
embedded reinforcing steel and concrete deterioration. These problems are associated
with relative dimensional incompatibility between existing and new concrete. The
restrained volume charges of new material are inducing tensile stresses that may lead to
cracking and delaminating when the induced tensile stresses are greater than tensile strain
capacity of new material.
The way to make this strengthening technique effective in the future is to use
materials with higher tensile strain capacity, with low shrinkage properties.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

4.2 Post tensioning:

External prestressing techniques have been employed with great success to
correct excessive and undesirable deflections in existing structures. They have also been
used to strengthen existing concrete structures to carry additional loads. Prestressing may
be used on tile inside of box girders or the outside of I girders to increase the capacity of
existing bridges and to provide improved resistance to fatigue and cracking.
4.3 CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) for repair and strengthening:
CFRP has high strength, excellent strength to weight ratio, resistant to chemicals
(acids and bases), good fatigue strength, and nonmagnetic, non-corrosive and
nonconductive properties. As with any composite system, bond of the strengthening
plates to the existing concrete is very critical. Therefore, the surface preparation of both
phases of tile system, concrete and CRFP plates is very important. The plates should be
ground on tile bonding side, immediately before bonding; the surface should be cleaned
with acetone. After mixing, the epoxy glue component should be placed oil tile plate
without delay, after assembling the plate in the designed position, a slight pressure is
applied to squeeze out excessive adhesive.

Disadvantages:

Lack of codes of practice and design standards.

Limitation in application to certain geometrical shapes.

Necessity of personnel skilled in polymers.

Fire protection required. Materials are being used in most cases to repair and
strengthen concrete beams and columns.
The latest studies and experience demonstrate that repairs of concrete slabs

require less FRP material to achieve equivalent increase in stiffness and strength
compared with reinforced concrete beams.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

5. MATERIALS FOR REPAIR:

The basic choice of repair system is between those based on Portland cement and
those on synthetic resins. In reinforced concrete, they protect the reinforcement from
corrosion in different ways. Cement based materials provide an alkaline environment for
the steel (pH of order of 12) and, in these conditions a passivating film forms on the
surface of steel. Corrosion will occur if the alkalinity of concrete surrounding the steel is
reduced by carbonation i.e. the penetration of carbon from atmosphere or if aggressive
ions such as chlorides are present. Consequently, the provision of adequate thickness of
dense concrete cover is important. Resin based materials do not generally provide an
alkaline environment, they normally for their protective effect on providing cover that
will exclude oxygen and moisture, without which corrosion will not take place.
It is usually desirable that the mechanical properties of the repair materials should
resemble as closely as possible those of the structures being repaired. This means that, as
a general rule, careful consideration should be given to the use of cement based repairs.
They can be made relatively inconspicuous although it is very difficult to hide them
altogether without using an overall coating. They can be provided fire resistance, while
resins soften at relatively low temperatures. Cement is cheaper than resin but this is
seldom the deciding factor because labour usually accounts for a large proportion of
repair costs. Most building operatives are more familiar with the use of cement-based
material than with resin.
For some applications, however resins are more suitable. Their properties can be
adjusted within fairly wide margins by suitable formulation so that they can, to some
extent, be tailored to fit the job in hand. This is particularly valuable when working time
is limited and rapid curing is required. Sometimes the thickness of cover to reinforcement
is less than it should be and it moves the reinforcement. In this cases resin mortars may
provide less permeable cover than cement mortar although the permeability can be
reduced by avoided and, although polymer admixtures may make it possible to use

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

cement mortar patches, resin mortars are often more suitable. Some compounds are not
suitable for use in confined spaces and good ventilation is always desirable.

Polymer modified concrete/cement mortar

Polymer cements concrete, which is prepared by adding polymer or monomer
to ordinary fresh cement concrete during mixing. This is based on first hand experiences
of repair and restoration works of high rise building, bridges, marine installations and
bomb-blast affected structures.

Fiber-Reinforced Plastics
These materials that are used for cracks are applied over it like a patch, using
high strength epoxy adhesive increasing their service life and fortify steel or concrete
structures against earthquakes or natural hazards.

Epoxy resins
The epoxy resins are widely used in the repairing of cracks, patching and
grouting of concrete, industrial flooring, structural adhesives, anti-corrosive linings, etc.
Various types of resins, hardeners and modified epoxy systems are commonly used in
structures.

Polymer-based latex
The structural integrity of chemically deteriorated reinforced concrete
beams is restored by repairing one set of beams by epoxide resin latex and another by
polymer-based latex system. It is interesting to observe an increase in the load-carrying
capacity and rigidity of the beams after repair and rehabilitation work of the structure.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Fiber-reinforced polymer
Fiber-reinforced polymers or FRPs are robust materials that are highly
resistant to corrosive action, have a high strength to weight ratio and are well suited for
assembly line production into modular components that can be rapidly erected. However,
FRP material costs are significantly greater than traditional concrete and steel materials.
Therefore, cost savings due to either reduced weight, increased speed of construction or
lower maintenance and increased life expectancy must offset this higher cost to make
sensible use FRP materials.
Because of the severe environment conditioning that bridge decks are
subject to and the fact that they account for major percentage of bridge structures dead
load, they are the most suitable bridge application for FRP materials. In addition, FRP
decks can be constructed faster than conventional cast-in-place decks that take more time
due to formwork construction, rebar placement and concrete curing. Other FRP material
systems that utilize carbon or aramid fibers and epoxy resins offer superior structural
performance characteristics.

Polymer-based materials
Polymer-based materials are being widely used in the building industry in
various forms such as coatings, membranes, adhesives, sealants, etc because of their high
durability.

High performance cement

High performance cement is the cement along with new complex
admixture. High performance cement based mortars possess low permeability, high
resistance to chemical attack, thermal resistance, and excellent freezing and thawing
resistance.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Selection of Concrete Repair Materials:

A variety of repair materials have been formulated to provide a wide range of
properties. Since these properties will affect the performance of repair, selecting the
correct material for specific application requires careful study. Concrete repair materials
have been formulated to provide a wide range of properties. It is likely that more than one
type of materials will satisfy the design criteria for durable repair of specific structure.
While making selection of repair materials, it has to be seen that their chemical and
mechanical properties are comparable to those of the substrate. Essential parameters for
repair materials are low shrinkage properties, workability, low air and water permeability,
durability. Classification based on application and Classification based on composition.
In these cases other factors must be taken into consideration which includes:
Ease of application.
Cost
Available labour skills and equipments.
Shelf life of the material.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

6. STRUCTURAL REPAIR BASED ON EXTENT OF

DAMAGE
The structural repairs to be carried out in corrosion affected reinforced concrete structures
to enhance its service life can be classified as follows:
1. Repairs to spallen concrete portions (steel and concrete)
Cement based repairs
Resin based repairs
2. Large volume repair
Poured concrete
Preplaced concrete
3. Sealing of cracks
Cracks with no further movements expected
Cracks with further movements expected

4. Surface coatings
5. Dry packing

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

6.1 Repair of a severely corrosion damaged member, where cover

Concrete has spallen and reinforcement (reduced in cross-sectional
area) has been exposed.
The repair process is started by cutting away all the loose and deteriorated
concrete until the hard core is reached preferably behind the corroding
reinforcement. All exposed reinforcements must be thoroughly cleaned. Loose rust
or any contamination is removed by abrasive blast cleaning. Wire brushing by hand
is not usually effective.
The portions of steel bars severely corroded require replacement. This is achieved
by cutting away the corroded portions and replacing with new bars of the same type
and size, either welded or tied to the existing bars. After the corrosion affected bars
are replaced in position, immediately a protective primer (Zinc, neat resin or any
other suitable coating) is applied. The primer chosen should be such that it should
good adhesive strength and good adhesion to subsequent repair layers.
In order to build up the section, either cement based repair, or Resin based repair
can be carried out.

Typical repair procedure for corrosion damaged concrete

Cement based repairs:
i) The slurry (bonding coat) is applied to all concrete surfaces to which bond is
required and the patching mortar (readily available in pre-weighed packets) is
applied, while the slurry is still tacky. (Care should be taken to wet the concrete
surface before the application of the material but there must be no standing water left
on the surfaces).
ii) After the prepared surfaces have been coated with bonding agent or a coating
of neat cement slurry, the repair material consisting of 1:3(cement and sand) is
applied in layers not exceeding 20mm thick. Each layer is to be key to receive the
succeeding layers. The outer layers of cement should not be thicker than the inner
layers. This is required, in order to prevent failure due to shrinkage stresses.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

It should be ensured that the cement-based materials used in repairs do not dry out
quickly.
Resin based repairs:
As usual, the priming coat is applied over the prepared surfaces to protect
the surfaces. The interval between coats should not be too long; otherwise there will
be bond failure.
Resin-based materials cure by exothermic chemical reaction immediately,
when the constituents are mixed. It is essential that the materials should be well
compacted to become impermeable, because they do not protect the steel by
alkalinity.

6.2 Large volume repair:

When a large volume of repair material is to be placed in members that have been
extensively damaged, it becomes necessary to fix some kind of formwork and fill it with
concrete or grout. The concrete is usually placed in conventional ways (poured concrete)
or it may be formed by injecting grout into a mass of dry aggregate (under water work
concrete).
Poured concrete
Defective concrete is first removed and loose concrete is chipped away from
the face and around the reinforcement. Additional reinforcement can be provided by
securely fastening it to the existing bars. It is necessary to protect the reinforcement by
applying coating in the form of corrosion inhibiting paint like cement based polymer
slurry or a resin based slurry. The formwork is so designed that the concrete fills it
completely without leaving any air pockets. The joints in the formwork are sealed
completely to avoid any leakage. Depending on the thickness to be poured, aggregate of
maximum 20mm size (for thickness greater than 100mm) is adopted in the concrete mix,
with suitable shrinkage compensating agent. In order to ensure good compaction of
concrete, material vibration or external vibration using a mechanical hammer on the
formwork can be imparted.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Preplaced concrete
The technique is best suited for certain types of repair, particularly in under
water work. In this method the formwork is erected in the normal way but it is first filled
with clean specified (depending on thickness) coarse aggregate. Later cement grout is
pumped into the forms from bottom until all the voids are filled as the air or water is
vented at the top. It is essential that the formwork is watertight and is designed to
withstand the full hydrostatic head of grout. This method offers quality concrete without
segregation with minimum during shrinkage. This disadvantage is that the injected
cement paste is prone to bleeding.

6.3 Sealing of cracks:

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Sealing of cracks by repair materials will be effective only when proper materials
are injected. For this, the cause of crack has to be determined. If the cause of the
crack is such that it is unlikely to recur, then it can be filled with a rigid material.
But, if the crack is caused due to movement and that is likely to continue then any
attempt to seal the crack against further movement may cause a new crack along the
side of the old one.
Repair of cracks (where no further movement is expected)
Such cracks can be sealed to prevent moisture penetration by simply brushing
latex emulsion of low viscosity or cement paste containing fine quartz powder filler.
The procedure for carrying out this type of repair is as follows:
The crack is thoroughly cleaned using compressed air. Superficial seal is
applied over the crack at the surface by using a fast setting polyester resin or a
thermoplastic material into which injection nipples are fixed at intervals. Injection is
started at the lowest point and when resin reaches the next higher point, the injection
gun is moved up to the next and the lower point is sealed. The process is continued
until the whole crack gets sealed. The pressure used is carefully controlled to avoid
bursting of the seal and concrete scale work.
Repair of cracks (where further movement is expected)
When a crack is subjected to continuing movement, it is absolutely
necessary to reduce the strain in it to reasonable amount. This can be easily done by
widening the crack at the surface and sealing it with an elastic material such as
polysulphide rubber or a performed neoprene strip.

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

6.4 Surface coatings:

It is necessary, that after the completion of repair work, to treat both the
repaired areas and the rest of the structure with some coatings, principally, to reduce
the permeability of concrete, to moisture, carbon dioxide, and other aggressive
agents. The coatings further can also give aesthetic look to the structure by
containing the patches, discolouration and stains and match colour and textures.
Several coatings are available in the market, which can be readily used on
the repaired surfaces as per the instructions of the manufacturer. Siloxene based
coatings prove to be effective.

6.5 Dry packing:

Dry packing or plugging is the hand placement of a low w/c ratio mortar
followed by ramming or tamping of mortar into place producing an intimate contact
between new and existing work. The method is applicable to cracks in a structure.
Shrinkage is considerably reduced. Provides good strength and water tightness
increasing the durability. Care is to be taken to use well-graded sand in the mortar
mix.

7. REPAIR OF CRACKED CONCRETE:

Repairs to cracked concrete should not be embarked upon without full
consideration of all the factors involved. All too often, specifies call for inappropriate or

REPAIR OF CORROSION AFFECTED REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES

unnecessary work to be carried out because they have not given enough preliminary
thought to the causes of cracking and the reason for repair.
The common reason for repairing cracked concrete is in order to prevent
corrosion of reinforcement. Cracks may provide a path for ingress of carbon dioxide
and/or water containing dissolved salts through the concrete cover, so it appears at first
sight that they must form a corrosion hazard. Research has shown, however, that they
must form a corrosion hazard. Research has shown, however, that this is not necessarily
true. A number of codes specify maximum permissible crack widths for various
conditions, but they do not agree with each other. A fundamental weakness of this
approach lies in the fact that the crack width at the surface of the concrete will nearly
always be greater than the width at the reinforcement, and the difference will depend
largely on thickness of cover.
Cracking at right angles to the reinforcing bar is often relatively unimportant. In
this case the cracking will have an effect on the time that elapses before corrosion is
initiated but it usually has little effect on its subsequent progress. Cracking along the
length of bar is far more serious because a larger portion of the bar is exposed.
Crack injection may also be used to restore structural integrity. In such cases, the
physical adhesion of the injection resin to the internal surface of the cracks has to be very
good. This may require flushing of cracks with water in order to remove loosely adhering
contaminants. It is also necessary for the resin to penetrate to the full depth of the cracks.
It has been demonstrated that injection of suitable resin into cracked concrete can restore
its physical properties.

8. CLASSIFICATION AND DIAGNOSIS:

Cracks may be classified broadly as either live, i.e. those where the width varies
with time or dead cracks where no further movement is likely. They may also be

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subdivided into progressive cracks that are expected to become longer, and static cracks
that are unlikely to do so. If repairs do not have to be carried out immediately,
observation over a period of time will enable cracks to be classified and will assist
diagnosis of the cause.
Dead load cracks are generally the result of an event that has passed, such as
accidental overload, and they may usually be locked in such a way as to restore the
structure as nearly as possible to its original un-cracked state. Cracks wider than about
1mm in horizontal surfaces can usually be sealed by filling them with cement grout. It
must be remembered, however, that cracks often taper than the width at the
reinforcement. Finer cracks and those in soffits or vertical surfaces may be sealed by
injecting polymer. Epoxy resins are most frequently used when repair is being carried out
in order to restore structural integrity, or when moisture is present. Cheaper polymers, a
good example of which would be polyester resin, can often be used when the purpose of
repair is to protect reinforcement from corrosion .in both cases the resin may be injected
under gravity or positive pressure; better penetration can be achieved, however, by using
vacuum assisted injection.
Cracks may be repaired in order to prevent leakage of fluids into or out of
structures. Before this is done, the possibility of autogenously healing should be
considered, especially if the fluids concerned in water. In many cases fine cracks are
unsightly but they do not affect the durability or performance of the structure. When
considering the appearance of cracks, the distance and circumstances of viewing during
the service life of the structure should be taken into account. Many codes suggests that as
a guide, a design maximum crack width of 0.3 mm may be acceptable, attempts to hide
cracks by filling them nearly always fail, and the only really successful method is to
apply some form of surface coating which usually has to be applied to the whole of the
surface coating materials vary in their elasticity so it may be necessary to fill the cracks
first, and the amount of subsequent movement that can be tolerated may be very small.
8.1 CEMENT GROUT

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Cracks wider than about 1mm in the upper surfaces of slabs etc. can often be
sealed by brushing in dry cement followed, if necessary, by light spraying with water.
This treatment will seal the upper part of cracks against ingress of moisture and carbon
dioxide, but depth of penetration of cement will be variable. It will not the cracks
completely but they will be less conspicuous than they would be if they were with a
material not based on Portland cement. For cracks wider than 2mm it may be preferable
to use cement and water grout but this is far more likely to leave marks on the
surrounding concrete. Alternatively cracks caused out to a width of 5-10mm and pointed
up with cement and sand mortar. Clearly, this will be more costly because of additional
labour required.
8.2 POLYMER INJECTION
When it is necessary to ensure, as far as possible that the sealant penetrates to the
full depth of crack, injection of polymer grout under pressure is the method most
commonly used. For relatively wide cracks that are unlikely to be blocked by debris, it
may be enough to use a gravity head of few hundred millimeters, but in other cases handoperated or mechanical pumps or pressure pots are used.
The general principal in sealing cracks by injection is to start at one end and work
progressively along the crack. For cracks in vertical or inclined surfaces, injection should
start at the lowest point and proceed upwards. A series of injection points are formed at
intervals along the length of the crack and grout is injected into each point in turn until it
starts to flow out of the next one .the point in use is then sealed off and injection is started
at the next point, and so until the full length of the cracks has been treated. It has been
argued that materials will travel into the concrete and along the joint to subsequent inlets
at similar rates. It is for this reason that recommended intervals between injection points
are normally equal to the depth of penetration required.
8.3 INJECTION POINTS

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These can be formed in various ways; but it will be necessary to surface seal the
cracks temporarily between them. Polymer-based materials are available for this purpose,
with rapid curing properties and it is these, which are most often used. Sometimes holes
are drilled into crack at intervals and injection nipples grouted in but, with normal
drilling, there is some risk that the crack may become blocked by drilling dust. This risk
can be reduced if hollow drills with an applied vacuum are available. Further to this, the
method assumes the crack to run perpendicular to the surface, and this is not always the
case. The injection point might not necessarily connect with more suitable technique is to
use flanged injection nipples that can be fixed temporarily to the concrete surface with an
adhesive. Yet another method is to form gaps in the temporary surface seal at intervals
along the crack and to use an injection nozzle that can be sealed adequately to the
concrete by passing against the surface. This cannot be done if surface is too rough or if
the crack is wide enough to allow resin to run out afterwards. Gaps in the temporarily
seal can be formed by applying strips of adhesive tape across the crack, at intervals,
applying the temporarily sealant to the full length, and then peeling off the strips of tape.

9. CONCLUSION:
RCC Structures are subject to deterioration through different mechanisms.
Although many repair materials have been introduced in the construction industry in the
recent past, careful judgment should be exercised by the engineers, while selecting them.

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The decision should be governed by the results of the insitu testing carried out on the
corrosion affected or damaged structure.
Periodic maintenance of structures is essential. Each and every problem should
be properly analysed and then the appropriate repair methods undertaken. Primary design
of the building reflects its performance in long run. Each repair technique is suitable only
for the particular application for which it is meant for.
The damaged structures are required to be repaired and Rehabilitated to restore
their durability, however; structures affected by corrosion need special treatment to care
of corrosion besides restoration of strength. Before undertaking repairs & rehabilitation
of damaged structures it is necessary to carryout detailed condition assessment so that
suitable remedial measures are taken.