Subject name : Scanner on Repairs and rehabilitation of structures.

Q1. List down the various construction and design deficiency which causes distress in RCC
structure

Ans. Concrete is generally a durable material however it suffers distress during its service life for
many reasons .Structural causes of defects could be due to externally applied loads, environmental
loads or accidents or subsidences.

Poor construction practices, faulty design and detailing and construction overloads are the major
causes of distress in RCC structures. The various construction and design deficiencies are listed
below:

Construction deficiencies mainly include poor construction practices like

- Adding excess water to concrete mix

- Inadequate consolidation
- Inadequate placement of steel
- Omitted rebars
- Inadequate cover
- Inadequate consolidation of soil beneath slab
- Poor workmanship leading to formation of honey combing and cold joints

Design deficiencies mainly include the following

- Inadequate thickness of member

- Incorrect geometry
- Incorrect material
- Incorrect detailing
- Incorrect estimation of the forces that forms the intended use of structure

Q2. What are the objectives of condition survey? In detail explain the various stages of condition
survey?

Ans - Condition survey is an examination of concrete for the purpose of identifying and defining the
area of distress

This survey is designed to be used for recording the history of the project right from its
inception to completion & subsequent life.

Objectives of Condition Survey:

(a) To identify

- the causes of distress

- the source of distress

(b) To assess

- the extent of distress

- the residual strength of the structure

- its rehabilitability

- to prioritise the distressed element according to the seriousness of the repairs

- to select and plan the effective remedy

Main objective of the conditional assessment of structure is to place the building in any of the
following 3 categories:

- Building has shown no signs of distress & satisfies all the safety & serviceability requirements
as per the codal requirements, hence no action is needed towards retrofitting
- Building is found to be deficient or distressed but can be repaired or strengthened to satisfy
the codal requirements
- Building is badly damaged. Needs to be demolished and a new structure to be constructed

Various stages of conditional survey are as below:

- Preliminary Inspection
Establish aims & information required
Notes & records of earlier repairs if any
- Preliminary site visit
Planning Stage
Set Interpretation rules
- Visual Inspection
Type of structural system
Leakage / seepage due to ineffective drainage system
Types of cracks and their pattern
 - Field / laboratory testing
Validation of the findings of visual inspection
Non Destructive testing for determination of extent of corrosion, Concrete deterioration,
concrete strength, Integrity & performance

Q3. Air and Moisture permeability of the concrete adversely affects the health of the concrete.
Justify with relevant examples

Ans. All concrete in service will be subjected to chemical and physical change. A durable concrete is
the one in which changes occur at a rate which does not detrimentally affects its performance within
its intended life. A well constituted, properly compacted and cured concrete used in RCC continues
to be substancially water tight and durable as long as the micro cracks and capillary pores in the
interior do not become interconnected pathways leading to the surface of concrete.

Deterioration of RCC structure is basically related to

- the loss of water tightness of concrete cover

- migration of aggressive chemicals through the interconnected porosity

Both the above factors are due to the air and moisture permeability i.e interconnected porosity.

Micro cracks in concrete that are formed due to cyclic loading, temperature variations (diurnal or
seasonal) when come into contact with the capillary pores in the interior of the concrete then its
increases the penetrability of concrete. When this inter-linked network of micro cracks come into
contact with the cracks at surface then its forms an entry port for water, oxygen, carbon di oxide and
acidic ions. The presence of these elements facilitates various physical-chemical interactions as a
result of which the material eventually undergoes cracking, spalling and loss of mass resulting in
partial loss of strength and stiffness.

Air and moisture permeability will lead to problems like corrosion of steel reinforcement embedded
in concrete, carbonation, alkali slica reaction. This is best explained by the process of Carbonation
that is expedited by the presence of water and gases . Permeation of carbon di oxide and water in
concrete forms Carbonic acid i.e H2CO3 (acid) . This carbonic acid reacts with the hydroxides present
in concrete to form Calcium carbonate i.e CaCO3.

CO2 + H2O =H2CO3 (acid)

H2CO3 + Ca(OH)2 = CaCO3 + H2O

This reaction reduces the alkalinity of the concrete, thus reducing the pH levels of the concrete
which is necessary to keep the steel dispassivated. However carbonation product calcium carbonate
forms a porous line that allows oxygen flow through the concrete that accelerates the corrosion of
steel, thereby adversely affecting the strength of the structure.

Q4. Write down the requirement as per IS:456 for the durability of RCC structure:

Ans: A durable concrete is the one that performs satisfactorily in the working environment during its
anticipated exposure conditions during its service.The various requirements for a durable concrete
structure as mentioned in Section- 8 of IS 456 are as below:

1. Shape and size of the member: The shape should be such that provides good drainage of
water and does not form any standing pools of water. Member profiles and their
intersection must be designed and detailed so as to ensure easy flow of concrete and good
compaction.
2. Nominal cover to the reinforcement based on exposure condition: IS 456 classifies the
environment into 5 categories based on its level of severity i.e Mild, Moderate, Severe, Very
severe and Extreme. Nominal cover must be provided in accordance to clause 26.4
3. Concrete Mix Proportions: Minimum cement content, maximum water cement ratio,
mimimum cement grade to be used for different exposure conditions must be provided as
per Table:5.
4. Limit of deleterious substances: Chloride content and the sulphate content in the mix must
be as per clause 8.3.5.2/3
5. Drainage: Proper drainage of groundwater must be provided to prevent the contact of
deleterious materials in ground water with concrete by the use of chemically resistant stone
with layer of plaster of paris or jute cover impregnated with bituminous material.
6. Compaction, Finishing and Curing: Proper compaction without segregation should be
ensured. Overworking the surface and adding more water for finishing must be
avoided.Adequate curing to ensure low permeability and high durability in surface zones
must be taken care of.
7. Concrete in sea water: Care must be taken to use at least M20 grade of cement in plain
concrete and minimum M30 for RCC.
8. Protection of reinforcement: Reinforcement must be protected from exposure to saline
atmosphere during storage, fabrication or use by treating the reinforcement surface with
cement wash or other suitable methods.
Q5. What are the major causes of deterioration of concrete. Also enlist the various signs of
distress in rcc structures.

Ans: The major causes of deterioration of concrete structure are listed as below:

Mechanical Actions Causes of deterioration here are impact, over loading, settlement, vibration
and blasting

Chemical Action Chemical exposure and alkali aggregate reaction i.e alkali silica reaction and alkali
carbonation reaction

Physical action Freezing thawing, thermal cracking, moisture movement are the causes

Reinforcement corrosion Corrosion of reinforcement due to chloride ingression and carbonation.

Major signs of distress in concrete structure are enlisted below:

Cracking Active cracks (cracks that deepen and widen ) and Dormant cracks (incactive but permit
ingress of moisture if not repaired)

Structural cracks these result design deficiencies, temporary or continuous overloads, foundation
settlement

Spalling Loss of material in patches of various sizes.

Deflection Bending or sagging of the reinforced concrete elements.

Stain The white powdery surface which is formed due to alkali aggregate reaction

Erosion due to wind or rain

Corrosion corrosion of reinforcement due to chloride ingress and carbonation

Q5. Answer in Brief:

(A) Distinguish between (a) Rehabilitation and Retrofitting (b) Micro cracking & Macro cacking
(c) Porosity & Permeability

Ans: (a) Rehabilitation is the process of repairing or modifying a structure to its desired useful
condition.

Retrofitting is the process of upgrading the existing structure to meet the enhanced structural
reuqirements in terms of the load carrying capacity of existing structural element or by
introducing additional structural member.

(b) Micro cracking - These are the cracks that form at interfacial zone between the cement and
coarse aggregates or reinforcing steel. Micro cracking when interlinked with capillary porosity
increases th penetrability of concrete to aggressive chemicals.

Macro cracking - Any crack width that allows the aggressive chemicals to travel freely nto the
concrete can be termed as Macro crack. The threshold limiting crack width as defined by various
codes is 0.1to 0.3 mm,any width exceeding this is likely to cause durability problems.

(c ) Permeability - The ease with which the fluids (both liquids and gases) can travel freely
through the concrete is termed as Permeability of concrete.

Porosity Porosity of concrete is the measure of the proportion of the total volume of concrete
occupied by pores. Interconnected pores leads to higher permeability in contrast to discontinuous
pores that are ineffective in transport of fluids and deleterious substances.

(B) Explain Alkali Silica reaction

Ans: Chemical reaction involving alkali and hydroxyl ions from portland cement paste and
certain reactive siliceous minerals that are often present in the aggregate leads to alkali
aggregate reaction that are of two types Alkali Silica reaction (ASR) and Alkali carbonation
reaction (ACR)

Reactive siliceous materials in aggregate like chert, opal, quartzite reacts with alkalies in cement
paste i.e K2O and Na2O to form solid non-expansive alkali silica gel.This gel in presence of
moisture forms a gel with expansive tendency. This reaction is called Alkali Silica reaction

Siliceous (chert, opal) + K2O ; Na2O = Non expansive alkali silica gel

Alkali silica gel + Moisture = Expansive gel

(C) Describe the mechanism of micro crack due to the differential thermal exposure of RCC
structure.

Ans: The structural members having different thermal exposure condition on the opposite face,
particularly the ones located on the exterior, are subjected to loading due to the temperature
gradient within the cross-section.This is due to the difference in the temperature on two faces of
the member at different times. As a result tensile stress exceeding the tensile strength of the
concrete could develop across the cross-section and results in the formation of micro cracks.
This process is cyclic due to diurnal and seasonal temperature variations.

(D) Enlist the various aspects to be taken care of while diagonising the cracks.

Ans: Cracking is the most common indication of distress in structure.Cracks may represent the
total extent of the problem or may point to the problems of greater magnitude. The various
aspects that needs to be taken care of are mentioned below:

- recognize the existence of the cracks

- finding the reason of the formation of cracks
- categorization of the cracks based on the following
- age i.e if the crack is old or new,location of the cracks in the structural member i.e if they
are on the internal parts of building or in external faade,
- dimension of the crack i.e size f the crack if hairline or bigger
- pattern of the crack i.e if there o both the sides of the member
- the rate of their progress i.e whether they have stopped or are continuing to move

(E) What do you understand by the term Durability. Compared to other considerations, how
much importance should be given to durability in the design & construction of concrete
structures.

Ans: A durable concrete is the one that performs satisfactorily in the working environment
during its anticipated exposure conditions during its service.Concrete as a structural material
and as a building exterior skin has the ability to withstand natures deteriorating mechanisms as
well as natural disasters. Durability of concrete is of vital importance in terms of the life cycle
cost of the structure. Life cycle cost of the structure includes not only the initial cost of labour,
materials and construction but also of the repair and maintenance.

RCC which is used for a variety of structures is not found to be durable due to factors like
variation in production, loading conditions in service life and environmental aggression.
Durability is thus very important because only a well constituted,properly cured an compacted
concrete used in RCC continues to be substantially water tight and durable. Hence it must be
given importance as the other design stipulations are abided.

(F) What is the importance of field and laboratory testing for damage assessment of the
structure.

Ans: Evaluating the extent and severity of the damage in the structure is one of the most
important step in the repair process.The intent of this step is to determine how much concrete
has been damaged and how this damage will affect the serviceability of the structure. This steps
also helps to predict how quick the damage is occurring and what is the progression of the
damage. The extent of severity lies in assessing the in situ quality of the concrete,the quality of
the damaged as well as the surrounding undamaged concrete,the subsurface deterioration, level
of delamination or debonded concrete.

There are a number of Non Destructive Evalutation techniques availaible to determine the in-
situ strength and quality of concrete.These tests do not impair the intended performance of the
structural member being tested. Field tests and the laboratory tests fall under this category of
NDE test methods. Tests like Schmidt rebound hammer test gives an insitu indication of the
strength of the concrete. Cores taken from the damaged area helps to assess the subsurface
deterioration, the strength properties of the same can be determined through laboratory testing.

Field tests such as Ultra Sonic Pulse velocity, impact echo test helps to determine the presence
of any discontinuities, depth of microcracking. Cover meter tests helps to determine the
thickness of concrete cover, the diameter of reinforcement bar and its spacing. Half cell
potential helps in assessing the probability of corrosion.

The areas of the deteriorated or damaged concrete as determined from field and laboratory
testing methods are then mapped or marked on the drawings of the affected structure. This
provides information needed in subsequent calculation of the (i) area and the volume of the
concrete to be repaired (ii) preparation of the repair specifications.

(G) State in detail the criteria for selecting the repair material.

Ans: Selection of repair materials / methods must be made only after the completion of the
three major steps of repair process i.e (i) determining the cause of damage (ii) evaluating the
extent of damage (iii) evaluating the need to repair . Only with sufficient information as gathered
after the completion of the above steps i.e Conditional survey, one could make proper,
economical and succuessful selection. Following factors have to be considered before finalizing
the repair material / methods (i) types of conditions that the repair must resist (ii) availaible
repair construction time period (iii) volume and the area of the concrete to be repaired (iv) the
time frame within which the repair must be accomplished.

Only a proper selection of repair materials and methods can ensure a durable and trustworthy
repair of structure.

(F) Explain the distinct stages to be recognized before carrying out any repair work

Ans: The distinct stages required to be recognized before carrying out any repai process is as
mentioned below: a repair specialist must take care that none of the below mentioned step goes
missing before executing the repair work which may vary from minor imperfections to major
problems in structure

The steps include:

1. Condition Evaluation
2. Determination of the cause of deterioration
3. Selection of repair methods and materials
4. Preparation of drawings and specifications
5. Bid and negotiation process
6. Execution of work
7. Appropriate quality control measures
8. Maintenance after completion of work

(H) What are the basic differences involved in a repair work and a new construction work

Ans: The mindset for engineers working on repair/strengthening work must be entirely different
than is for the new work. The main differences are listed below:

a. For repair work, the structure already exists and has its performance characterisitics which
may or may not match with the prevailing design codal requirements.
b. Sometimes the drawings for the original construction are not available or the actual as-built
conditions differ from the information on the drawing making it difficult to determine the
purpose of design.
c. Repair engineer has to understand the inherent problems in the structures that has resulted
into deterioration
d. During repair work, redistribution of loads may occur and many temporary unstable
conditions may show up which need to be taken care of
e. For any repair work, the engineer need to have knowledge of both principle of structural
theory as well as material behavior
f. Repair engineer need to evaluate the overall integrity of the structure i.e for the
deteriorated portion as well as for the repaired portion.

(I) Which are the various techniques of Demolition.

Ans: The choice of the demolition methods depends on the project conditions, site constraints,
sensitivity of the neighbourhood and the availaibility of the equipments. The various methods of
demolition techniques are listed below:

1. Top down manual/ jack hammer Breaking away the concrete by hand held jack hammer
2. Top down / machine breaker Breaking away the structure by machine mounted percussive
breaker
3. Top down/ machine hydraulic crusher Breaking away the structure by machine mounted
hydraulic crusher
4. Hydraulic crusher / long boom Breaking away the structure with machine mounted with
hydraulic crusher with long arm extension
5. Wrecking ball Destruction by impact of steel ball suspened from a crane
6. Implosion Use of explosives
7. Mechanical methods / machinery Toppling or breaking away the structure by large
machinery from outside the building
8. Saw cutting / chain cutting Cutting of the structure with saw or chain saw
9. Wire saw cutting Cutting with wire saw
10. Drilling Coring, cutting and drilling by stitch drilling
11. Non explosive demolition agent, Thermal lance or Water jet are the other methods.

(J) What are the various factors that govern the selection of demolition technique? What
should be the demolition sequence.

Ans: The choice of the demolition methods depends on the project conditions, site constraints,
sensitivity of the neighbourhood and the availaibility of the equipments. Each site has its specific
features and conditons. The demolition method including the detailed procedure must be
deisgned to accommodate specific project site requirements. In general demolition must be
carried out in reverse order of construction.

a. Top down methods are most applicable for the sites situated in busy urban areas
b. Other mechanical methods involving the machinery from the outside of the building are
most applicable for sites having sufficient clear spaces
c. For the structural projections like cantilevers, balconies or verandas extending beyong the
building line, demolition by hand held tools or the cut and lift methods is a safe solution.

The Demolition sequence should be as follows:

1. All cantilevered structures, canopies, verandas attached to the external walls must be
removed prior to the removal of the main building
2. When demolishing the roof structures, all the lift machine rooms and water tanks at higher
level must be demolished in the top down sequence to the main roof level
3. Demolition of the floor slabs must begin at the mid span and then proceed towards the
supporting beams
4. Floor beam shall be demolished in the following order first the cantilever beams, then the
secondary beams and finally the main beams
5. Non- load bearing walls shall be removed prior to the demolition of the load bearing walls
6. Columns and load bearing must be removed after the removal of beams at top
7. If site conditons permit, then the first floor slab resting directly above the ground floor slab
must be removed by the machine seated on ground level and mounted with demolition
accessories.
(K) What are the general requirements of a quality repair?

Ans: The term concrete repair refers to any replacing, renewing or restoring the concrete
surfaces after placement. The needs for repairs can vary from minor imperfections to major
damages that leads to structural failure. The general requirements for a quality repair includes
adequate and rich worksmanship, proper detailed procedure and best quality materials.

Workmanship : Repair contractors or workmen must see that the repairs done are durable,
quality repairs, serviceable and well bonded to existing surfaces.Constant vigilance must be
exercised to ensure maintenance of standards of workmanship.

Procedures Serviceable concrete repairs can result only if correct methods are chosen and
techniques are carefully performed.
Materials Materials to be used in concrete repair must be of high quality, relatively fresh and
capable of meeting specification requirements for the particular applications or intended use.

(L) Enlist the major reasons for the cracks in the masonry?

Ans: The different reasons that can lead to the formation of the cracks are as follows:

1. Soil settlement
2. Deformation or out of plumbness ins structures due to differential settlement and
subdidence of the building.
3. Unequal bearing capacity of foundation
4. Imperfect connection between the walls
5. Cracks due to inherently poor materials and poorly bonded materials
6. Thermal Movement
7. Moisture movement
8. Salt Crystallization
9. Changes in structure
10. Natural phenomenon like wind,hurricanes or earthquakes