Repair & Maintenance

Assignment Spalling of Concrete & its Causes

Submitted to:
Engr. Fatima Mehvish
Submitted by:
M. Shahzad Tabassum 2012-BT-Civil-26
Fiaz Ahmad 2013-BT-Civil-23
M. Tariq 2013-BT-Civil-35

Department of Civil Engineering

MNS University of Engineering & Technology Multan

 Assignment No. 2 Spalling of Concrete
Spalling of Concrete:
Spalling concrete occurs when the water enters the concrete. This creates moisture in the concrete
which results in the swelling of the outside surface forcing it to peel or flake off. This can be
destructive and damaging to the structural integrity of the building if spalling concrete repair is not
carried out immediately.

Figure 1:Mechanism of Spalling of Concrete slab due to corrosion

The condition shown in the image above is common in bridges, parking garages, and other concrete
structures. The term spalling is used to describe this condition, and specifically refers to the
delaminating or fragmenting of the concrete surface.

Causes of Spalling Concrete:

There are several reasons for the cause of concrete spalling. Here are some most common causes for
concrete spalling:
Efflorescence

Thaw/freeze action

High Pressure Water Cleaning

Moisture in the foundation

If you have noticed, in all four causes there is one thing in common, water. Water plays a vital role in
the spalling of the concrete. The severity of the damage caused by spalling concrete depends on the
amount of water, permeability and porosity of the concrete.
a) Efflorescence:
Moisture and water leakage causes efflorescence in the basement on the surface of the walls. This is a
whitish substance that is comprised of minerals and evaporated salts. Its formation is accelerated by
the increased rate of water penetration and humidity in the air.
b) Thaw or Freeze Action:
Whether the water is from the melted snow or rain or dampness, it may gather on or near the surface
of the walls. This water freezes inside the concrete in the cold weather. This freeze action is damaging
for the concrete since water is known to expand when it freezes. This results in the swelling of the
surface and if freezing occurs repetitively, it may cause concrete spalling.

Department
1 of Civil Engineering MNS UET Multan
 Assignment No. 2 Spalling of Concrete
c) Spalling Concrete Repair:
Depending on the severity of the problem, the foundation repair company can suggest the appropriate
spalling concrete repair solution for your building or home. Done Right Services specializes in
waterproof coatings to seal the concrete and stop the spalling .

Durability effect:
The following conditions causes the concrete durability problems in structures
Temperature

Moisture

Physical factors

Chemical factors

Biological factors

Durability of concrete in structure occurs due to above factors which cause weathering in concrete,
abrasion or chemical reaction with concrete or reinforcement. Durability problems in concrete
structures related to environmental causes include the following: steel corrosion, delamination,
cracking, carbonation, sulphate attack, chemical attack, scaling, spalling, abrasion and cavitation.

1. Durability problems due to Temperature:

Concrete contracts and expands due to change in temperature. Concrete expands when temperature
increase and contracts when temperature decreases. The effect of these expansion and contraction will
not be in unrestrained concrete member. But when a concrete is restrained by connecting members
such as columns, beams, slabs, foundations etc, these changes produces significant stresses in
concrete which lead to development of cracks.

Concrete exposed to temperatures greater than 95C (203F) can have significant effects. These
effects are caused due to change in volume of cement paste and aggregates. Cement paste shrinks at
high temperature due to dehydration while aggregates expands. The net result of high temperature on
concrete is expansion. Therefore, exposure to very high temperatures (i.e. fire) will result in concrete
spalling, particularly when the concrete is exposed to high temperatures for a long time.

Factors such as moisture condition of concrete, types of aggregates and their stability, cement content,
duration of exposure to high temperature, rate of change in temperature, age of concrete and support
conditions etc affects the durability of concrete at high temperature.

2. Concrete Durability Problems due to Moisture:

Concrete expands or swells due to increase in moisture and contracts when moisture reduces. The
effects of moisture gains and losses on the volume of concrete are illustrated in Figure 2.

Department
2 of Civil Engineering MNS UET Multan
 Assignment No. 2 Spalling of Concrete

These changes in moisture in concrete causes it to swell and shrink. When concrete starts to dry,
shrinkage first occurs at the surface of concrete. This shrinkage of concrete at the surface will develop
tensile stresses on concrete surface which leads to cracks.

If a section of the concrete is restrained, and if concrete joints are not provided, major random cracks
may develop.

Shrinkage of reinforced concrete is less than the shrinkage of plain concrete. The difference depends
on the amount of reinforcing steel used. Steel reinforcement restricts but does not prevent drying
shrinkage. The concrete will crack if the shrinkage strain of the concrete exceeds the limiting tensile
strain of the concrete.

3. Problems in Concrete due to Moisture:

The three main problems with moisture and concrete are as follows:

Carbonation

The moisture cycle

Contaminants

Physical Factors Affecting Concrete Durability:

Many times with the age of concrete, concrete surface is subjected to wear due to sliding, impact,
scraping etc. In case of hydraulic structures, the action of the abrasive materials carried by flowing
water generally leads to erosion of the concrete. Another cause of damage to concrete in flowing
water is cavitation.

Abrasion in concrete is caused by the sliding or scraping of equipment across the concrete. Abrasion
damage to concrete may also be caused by subjecting the concrete to abrasive materials (such as sand)
that are carried by wind or water.
Tests on concrete results indicate the following facts:
That abrasion resistance is clearly related to the compressive strength of the concrete.
Strong concrete has more resistance than weak concrete.
Since compressive strength depends on the water-cement ratio and adequate curing, a low
water-cement ratio and proper curing of the concrete are necessary for abrasion resistance.
Hard aggregates are more abrasion resistant than soft aggregates.

Department
3 of Civil Engineering MNS UET Multan
 Assignment No. 2 Spalling of Concrete
Steel-trowelled surfaces resist abrasion more than a surface that is not trowelled.
Cavitations in concrete occurs when a high-velocity, flow of water (or any other fluid) suffers
an abrupt change in direction or velocity.

Biological Factors affecting durability:

Concrete may be damaged by live organisms such as plants, sponges, boring shells, or marine borers.

Rotting seaweed has been known to produce sulfur. Sulfur can be easily converted to sulfuric acid.
The presence of sulfuric acid on concrete leads to concrete disintegration.

Chemical Factors Affecting Concrete Durability:

Durability of concrete is affected by chemical reaction due to chemical interactions between

aggressive agents present in the external environment and the constituents of the cement paste.Among
the exceptions are alkali-aggregate reactions which occur between the alkalies in cement paste and
certain reactive materials when present in aggregate, delayed hydration of crystalline CaO and MgO if
present in excessive amounts in Portland cement, and electrochemical corrosion of embedded steel in
concrete.

Chemical reactions in concrete results into increase in porosity and permeability, decrease in strength,
and cracking and spalling. Sulfate attack, alkali-aggregate attack, and corrosion of embedded steel etc
due to chemical reactions in concrete are responsible for deterioration of a large number of concrete
structures. Concrete structures in coastal and offshore structures are exposed to chemical and physical
processes of deterioration, which aptly demonstrate the complexities of concrete durability problems
in practice.

Prevention of Spalling Concrete

1. Corrosion protection is provided by the amount of concrete cover protecting the steel

2. Preventing spallation is usually done at the outset of mixing the concrete, by using air-
entrained concrete, curing well,

3. making sure to apply a water-repellant sealer after the slab is cured. The water-repellant sealer
is probably the most essential ingredient needed to prevent spallation.

4. After the concrete is done though, one can use a Concrete Treat as a sealer on outdoor and
indoor concrete in order to prevent moisture from entering.

The most common source of spalling in brick, for example, is from excess moisture in which water
enters into the brick material causing pieces of it to

Summary

Spalling is primarily a result from the corrosion of the reinforcing steel and/or embedded objects
such as clips, chairs, anchors, etc. When the steel corrodes, the rust expands to 10 times the original
volume, creating internal tension forces in the concrete . Concrete is unable to handle the tension

Department
4 of Civil Engineering MNS UET Multan
 Assignment No. 2 Spalling of Concrete
forces, and the pieces between the corroded steel and the nearest surface will break off, called
"spalling".

Concrete spalling is usually caused by corrosion of the steel reinforcement bars embedded in the
concrete matrix, but can be caused by other ferrous elements either fully or partially embedded inthe
structure. Steel frame window systems, handrails, structural I-beams, metal pipes and conduits are
among the most common of the damage causing building components. Corrosion of the
reinforcement steel however, is by far the most common cause of spalling and splitting in older
concrete structures. Steel reinforcement bar (rebar) is used in concrete to provide strength to a
material that is extremely high in compressive strength but has very limited flexural or tensile
strength. One of the principles of reinforced concrete is that the high alkaline content of the concrete
passivates and protects the embedded steel from corrosion. One of the main components of
this corrosion protection is provided by the amount of concrete cover protecting the steel. As a
general rule of thumb one inch of cover is required to protect the steel rebar, in other words, no rebar
should be nearer than one inch of the concrete surface. Another important factor for the protection
rebar is to make sure that the concrete is properly consolidated during installation.

Besides environmental factors, poor installation also induces spall to form in concrete or limestone
such as through structural overloading of the stone or not taking care to have the proper mixture of
ingredients while pouring the concrete.

Good consolidation is achieved by installing concrete that is the proper consistency, and by vibration
of the wet concrete before it begins to set. Concrete that is too stiff (has too little water) is often not
consolidated properly which allows air bubbles and voids to be left in the finished matrix. If these
voids (commonly known as rock pockets) are large enough or extend all the way through the wall
structure, water can easily penetrate the finished wall and/or contact the rebar and cause corrosion.

d) Repair of Spalled Concrete Slab

Remove the concrete at the spalled areas to expose the corroded steel bars.

Scrape and clean the exposed steel bars and use a wire brush to remove the rust.

Apply two coats of anti-rust paint to the steel bars.

Before patching the area, apply a bonding agent to the affected surface to ensure proper
adhesion.

Patch up the hacked area using polymer modified cement mortar.

References:

http://civildigital.com/spalling-concrete-causes-prevention-repair/

www.astm .com

www.acess libray .com

Department
5 of Civil Engineering MNS UET Multan
 Assignment No. 2 Spalling of Concrete

Department
6 of Civil Engineering MNS UET Multan