STRUCTURAL CONCRETE REPAIR

PROCEDURES (Ref. Concrete Repair Manual)

• Category: Severe and Very Severe

Upon completion of the required field inspection and

engineering report by the responsible Engineer, the
following steps must be followed in conducting the
repairs:
• To start concrete repairs, the installers usually
remove all damaged and deteriorated concrete to
reveal a sound substrate. The selection of the
concrete removal equipment will depend on the
amount of depth of concrete removal and the
extent of the total work.
• The effectiveness of various removal techniques
depends on whether the repair area contains
deteriorated or sound concrete. Some techniques
may be better for sound concrete, while others
may be better on deteriorated sections. Because
the same removal technique does not work on all
sections of a given structure. The engineer may
use different removal techniques even within the
same designated repair area. The technique that
can be applied and probably the most suitable are
by cutting or by impacting where applicable.
1. Cutting Method. Cutting method usually
employ mechanical diamond saw cutting,
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 intense heat from powder torch thermal
lances, and high-pressure water jets. These
devices cut around the perimeter of concrete
sections to enable the removal of the total
section.
2. Impacting Method. This method use
machines that strike the concrete surface
repeatedly to cause fracturing and spalling
of the concrete. The most common removal
tools are the 7 to 14 kg. (15 to 30 lb)
chipping hammers. The 7 kg (15 lb)
hammer is light enough to use on vertical
and overhead surfaces. Avoid heavy
jackhammers and other demolition tools
because they can damage the sound concrete
adjacent to the repair area. The use of heavy
chipping tools can also result in the removal
of more sound concrete and more damage to
reinforcing steel than would occur through
the use of lighter tools. Do not allow the use
of hammers heavier than 14 kg (30 lb) for
concrete removal.

Select the correct breaker tool to avoid

excessive damage to the substrate. Standard
75mm (3 in) chisel bits are usually used to
cut or score solid concrete and to break up
weak concrete. For large areas requiring the

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 removal of thin layer of concrete, use a
pneumatic scabber. Pneumatic scabbers use
reciprocating bushing tools to strike the
concrete surface. Each hit of the tool
removes small amounts of concrete.
Pneumatic scabbers are effective tools for
the removal of up to 6 mm (1/4 in) of
surfaces for preparation of overlayments.
• Surface Preparation. After removal of all
unsound concrete, the engineer must plan and
verify the preparation of the repair area to
receive the repair materials. The installers
should clean the substrate to remove all loose
particles, dust, oil, and grease. The removal of
surface contaminants allows primers and the
repair materials to have intimate contact with
the substrate. The installers should use one of
the following methods to clean the substrate:
1. Air and Sand Blast Cleaning. High-
pressure air effectively removes loose
particles and dust. SAES-H-102 requires
that the compressor have an effective oil
trap (oil and moisture separators) to avoid
contamination of the concrete surface in the
preparation phase. Without an effective oil
trap, the blasting air absorbs oil and water
that penetrates the concrete surface. It is
the inspector’s responsibility to check this
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 item as part of the pre-blast checklist.
Sandblasting machines use compressed air
to eject a high-speed stream of sand or
other abrasive from a nozzle. Dust is a
problem in dry sandblasting. Workers
should use air-fed helmets. Clean up is
another problem associated with dry
sandblasting. The abraded concrete and
sand collect in large volumes and are
removed manually or with the aid of
industrial vacuum cleaners. Because of the
dust and related health problems, dry
sandblasting is not used frequently.
2. Water Blast Cleaning. Water-jet cleaning
uses low to medium-pressure water for
cleaning. A high velocity high-pressure
water jet is directed toward the concrete
surface through a specially designed nozzle.
The nozzle may be hand held or mounted
on a boom that enables the nozzle to sweep
back and forth across the concrete surface
as the equipment advances, incrementally.
Equipment with operating pressures up to
172 Mpa (25,000 psi) is now commercially
available. Water blasting has the following
advantages – Minimum noise and no dust,
no mechanical vibrations to cause structural
damage and the concrete substrate is clean

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 and wet. After the concrete removal, verify
the cleaning of the exposed reinforcing
steel to remove corrosion deposits (as
applicable). Always clean the substrate
immediately before applying repair
materials are to prevent subsequent
contamination of the prepared surface.
Long delays can cause prep0ared substrates
to accumulate dust and rust that will impair
the bond with the repair material.
3. Concrete Substrate Priming and Bonding.
For most inorganic materials, a saturated
surface dry substrate will prevent rapid loss
of water from the repair material to the
substrate. Rapid water loss can cause
debonding, shrinkage, and cracking.
Maximum adhesion for organic (polymer)
materials is achieved when the concrete
surface is dry. There may be some
dampness but no surface water when using
some organic materials. An adequate bond
between the substrate and the repair
materials is a critical requirement for
durable surface repairs. You can achieve
adequate bonding by placing repair
materials directly against a properly
prepared and clean substrate. Generally,

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 bonding agents shall be used as per
manufacturer’s recommendation.
4. Prepare concrete replacement. Concrete
replacement may be achieved though the
use of form and cast-in-place. The
traditional method of concrete construction.
Formwork is erected around the cavity to be
filled. The repair concrete is placed and
consolidated to follow normal concrete
placement procedures.

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Personal file:
Meinandro R. Cuevas
Project Engineer
Construction Division