Repair Application Procedures
Repair Application Procedures
Repair Application Procedures
Procedures
A s you may have seen on our website, ICRI’s
mission is “… to be a leading resource for
education and information to improve the quality
CRB, as they are of great benefit to our members.
These documents are also available, free of charge,
on the ACI’s website: www.concrete.org.
of repair, restoration, and protection of concrete and Each bulletin gives a concise description of the
other structures.” Part of being the leading resource repair method including the purpose of the repair,
is to know what information other organizations when it should be used, needed surface preparation,
have developed on the topic of concrete repair material and equipment selection, and safety
and whether to make this information available considerations. These bulletins are useful reference
to our members. documents for facility owners, design professionals,
In this spirit of cooperation, ICRI has now published and concrete repair contractors.
the first eight Repair Application Procedures (RAP) Users are encouraged to tear out these pages for
Bulletins, developed by Committee E706 of the handy reference or, if you prefer, download these
American Concrete Institute (ACI). These bulletins documents from ACI’s website, make copies for
are “how-to” documents for commonly used concrete distribution to field personnel, and file them for
repairs. ACI is allowing ICRI to publish them in the future reference.
*
Primary author of RAP Bulletin No. 6 ‡
Primary author of RAP Bulletin No. 8
†
Primary author of RAP Bulletin No. 7 §
Primary author of RAP Bulletin No. 9
The committee would like to thank Brandon Emmons for his illustrations in these bulletins.
by Peter Emmons
When do I use this method? Fig. 1—Sound the concrete surface to locate delaminated
This method should be used for repairing spalls on hori- areas. Chain drags can be used for sounding.
zontal surfaces such as structural slabs, exterior slabs on
ground, balconies, and interior floors.
Surface preparation
Step 1—Sound the concrete surfaces to locate delaminated
areas.
Step 2—Mark the perimeter of the repair area. Preferable
layout will result in simple geometric shapes with few re-
entrant corners. Fig. 2—Mark the perimeter of the repair area using simple
Step 3—Sawcut the perimeter of the repair. To avoid geometric shapes and minimizing re-entrant corners.
damaging reinforcement, the sawcut should not be deeper
than the cover over the reinforcement. If the delamination is
caused by corrosion, but the area of corroded reinforcing
isn’t apparent, use chipping hammers to expose the rein-
forcement until areas of uncorroded bars are found. Then
sawcut an area that encompasses the boundaries of corrosion
that have been established.
Step 4—Perform initial concrete removal with either 15-lb
or 30-lb jackhammers. Jackhammers larger than 30 lb may
cause damage to reinforcement, reinforcement bond to
surrounding concrete, and remaining concrete. Use 15-lb
jackhammers for final removal and detailing around the rein-
forcing steel.
Step 5—If exposed bars are corroded, concrete surrounding
the bar should be fully removed to expose the corroded bar,
regardless of how much of the bar is corroded. Removals around
the bar should allow the hand to pass under the bar. Clearance
around the bar should be approximately 3/4 in. (20 mm).
Step 6—If corroded bars are found and the bars have loss
of cross section, a structural engineer should be consulted.
Step 7—Final cleaning of the exposed reinforcement and Fig. 3—Sawcut the repair perimeter, but no deeper than the
concrete is required. Use of high-pressure water or abrasive thickness of the concrete cover over the reinforcement.
concrete and should not be less than 4000 psi. Other proper-
ties such as low shrinkage may be desirable and should be
specified by the owner’s representative. Prepackaged materials
specially designed for the repair of concrete surfaces can also
be used. Selection should be based on meeting the specified
properties outlined by the owner’s representative.
concrete, follow project specifications for mixing and trans- What are the safety considerations?
port requirements. • Eye protection is required for demolition and cleaning
operations.
Step 11—Place repair material into the prepared cavity by
• Hearing protection must reduce sound levels reaching
buggy, pumpline, or other acceptable method. the inner ear to limits on these levels that are specified
Step 12—Consolidate the repair material into the cavity by OSHA.
using either a vibrating screed or internal vibrator. Vibration • Respiratory protection is required when airborne dust
allows the repair material to flow around the reinforcing or vapors are produced.
steel and also come into intimate contact with the existing • Skin should be protected from chemicals and cement.
concrete substrate. This will promote maximum bond • Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) should be avail-
between the new material and the substrate. Entrapped air able for materials on the job site.
will also be removed in this step. It is the responsibility of the user of this document to
Step 13—Screed the repair material. establish health and safety practices appropriate to the
Step 14—Float the repair material. specific circumstances involved with its use. ACI does not
Step 15—Trowel the repair material or broom the surface make any representations with regard to health and safety
for texture. issues and the use of this document. The user must determine
Step 16—Cure the repair in accordance with the manufac- the applicability of all regulatory limitations before applying
turer’s recommendations (if the material is bagged). If the the document and must comply with all applicable laws and
repair uses ready-mixed or site-mixed concrete, place wet regulations including, but not limited to, United States Occu-
burlap and a polyethylene sheet over the repair for a pational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) health
minimum of 7 days. An alternative to wet burlap is the use and safety standards.
of a spray-applied curing compound.
Preconstruction meeting
How do I select the right material? Prior to proceeding with the repair, a preconstruction
If ready-mixed concrete is used for the repairs, a water- meeting is recommended. The meeting should include repre-
cement ratio (w/c) of not more than 0.40 should be used. sentatives from participating parties (owner, engineer,
Compressive strength should be greater than the original contractor, materials manufacturer), and specifically address