Methods of Crack Repair in Concrete (3)
Following the evaluation of the cracked structure, a suitable repair procedure can be selected. Successful repair procedures take into account the cause(s) of the cracking. For example, if the cracking was primarily due to drying shrinkage, then it is likely that after a period of time the cracks will stabilize. On the other hand, if the cracks are due to a continuing foundation settlement, repair will be of no use until the settlement problem is corrected. In this series of articles under the title of “Methods of Crack Repair in Concrete“, the different techniques applied to repair cracks are discussed. This article includes Drilling and Plugging, Gravity Filling, Grouting and Drypacking.
⇒ Drilling and Plugging
Drilling and plugging a crack consists of drilling down the length of the crack and grouting it to form a key (Figure 1).
This technique is only applicable when cracks run in reasonable straight lines and are accessible at one end. This method is most often used to repair vertical cracks in retaining walls.
A hole [typically 50 to 75 mm in diameter] should be drilled, centered on and following the crack. The hole must be large enough to intersect the crack along its full length and provide enough repair material to structurally take the loads exerted on the key. The drilled hole should then be cleaned, made tight, and filled with grout. The grout key prevents transverse movements of the sections of concrete adjacent to the crack. The key will also reduce heavy leakage through the crack and loss of soil from behind a leaking wall.
If water-tightness is essential and structural load transfer is not, the drilled hole should be filled with a resilient material of low modulus in lieu of grout. If the keying effect is essential, the resilient material can be placed in a second hole, the fiit being grouted.
⇒ Gravity Filling
Low viscosity monomers and resins can be used to seal cracks with surface widths of 0.03 to 2 mm by gravity filling. High-molecular-weight methacrylates, urethanes, and some low viscosity epoxies have been used successfully. The lower the viscosity, the finer the cracks that can be filled.
The typical procedure is to clean the surface by air blasting and/or waterblasting. Wet surfaces should be permitted to dry several days to obtain the best crack filling. The monomer or resin can be poured onto the surface and spread with brooms, rollers, or squeegees. the material should be worked back and forth over the cracks to obtain maximum filling since the monomer or resin recedes slowly into the cracks. Excess material should be broomed off the surface to prevent slick, shining areas after curing. If surface friction is important, sand should be broadcast over the surface before the monomer or resin cures.
If the cracks contain significant amounts of silt, moisture or other contaminants, the sealant cannot fill them. Water blasting followed by a drying time may be effective in cleaning and preparing these cracks.
Cores taken at cracks can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the crack filling. The depth of penetration of the sealant can be measured. Shear (or tension) tests can be performed with the load applied in a direction parallel to the repaired cracks (as long as
reinforcing steel is not present in the core in or near the failure area). For some polymers the failure crack will occur outside the repaired crack.
⇒ Grouting
Portland Cement Grouting
Wide cracks, particularly in gravity dams and thick concrete walls, may be repaired by filling with portland cement grout. This method is effective in stopping water leaks, but it will not structurally bond cracked sections. The procedure consists of cleaning the concrete along the crack; installing built-up seats (grout nipples) at intervals astride the crack (to provide a pressure tight connection with the injection apparatus); sealing the crack between the seats with a cement paint, sealant, or grout; flushing the crack to clean it and test the seal; and then grouting the whole area. Grout mixtures may contain cement and water or cement plus sand and water, depending on the width of the crack. However, the water-cement ratio should be kept as low as practical to maximize the strength and minimize shrinkage. Water reducers or other admixtures may be used to improve the properties of the grout. For small volumes, a manual injection gun may be used; for larger volumes, a pump should be used. After the crack is filled, the pressure should be maintained for several minutes to insure good penetration
Chemical Grouting
Chemical grouts consist of solutions of two or more chemicals (such as urethanes, sodium silicates, and acrylomides) that combine to form a gel, a solid precipitate, or a foam, as opposed to cement grouts that consist of suspensions of solid particles in a fluid. Cracks in concrete as narrow as 0.05 mm have been filled with chemical grout. The advantages of chemical grouts include applicability in moist environments (excess moisture available), wide limits of control of gel time, and their ability to be applied in very fine fractures. Disadvantages are the high degree of skill needed for satisfactory use and their lack of strength.
⇒ Drypacking
Drypacking is the hand placement of a low water content mortar followed by tamping or ramming of the mortar into place, producing intimate contact between the mortar and the existing concrete. Because of the low water-cement ratio of the material, there is little shrinkage, and the patch remains tight and can have good quality with respect to durability, strength, and watertightness.
Drypack can be used for filling narrow slots cut for the repair of dormant cracks. The use of drypack is not advisable for filling or repairing active cracks.
Before a crack is repaired by drypacking, the portion adjacent to the surface should be widened to a slot about 25 mm wide and 25 mm deep. The slot should be undercut so that the base width is slightly greater than the surface width.
After the slot is thoroughly cleaned and dried, a bond coat, consisting of cement slurry or equal quantities of cement and fine sand mixed with water to a fluid paste consistency, or an appropriate latex bonding compound, should be applied. Placing of the dry pack mortar should begin immediately. The mortar consists of one part cement, one to three parts sandpassing a No. 16 (1.18 mm) sieve, and just enough water so that the mortar will stick together when molded into a ball by hand.
If the patch must match the color of the surrounding concrete, a blend of grey portland cement and white portland cement may be used. Normally, about one-third white cement is adequate, but the precise proportions can be determined only by trial.
To minimize shrinkage in place, the mortar should stand for 1/2 hour after mixing and then should be remixed prior to use. The mortar should be placed in layers about 10 mm thick. Each layer should be thoroughly compacted over the surface using a blunt stick or hammer, and each underlying layer should be scratched to facilitate bonding with the next layer. There need be no time delays between layers.
The mortar may be finished by laying the flat side of a hardwood piece against it and striking it several times with a hammer. Surface appearance may be improved by a few light strokes with a rag or sponge float. The repair should be cured by using either water or a curing compound. The simplest method of moist curing is to support a strip of folded wet burlap along the length of the crack.
Source: ACI 224.1R-93: Causes, Evaluation and Repair of Cracks in Concrete Structures