METHODS AND SURFACE MATERIALS REPAIR FOR CONCRETE STRUCTURES – A REVIEW
Lelian W. ElKhatib, Adel Elkordi, Jamal Khatib
Abstract
Concrete is a very critical material that may require maintenance and possible repair periodically, especially in important structure such as bridges. In general, concrete in structures (e.g. reinforced concrete) may be subjected to cracks due to a variety of reasons. These include, design and external environments such as the ingress of harmful ions into the concrete, unexpected extra loads including earthquakes. These cracks can affect not only the appearance of the structure but more importantly the structural performance of concrete and the integrity of the concrete structure. Therefore, when cracks occur a proper repair method should be selected, based on the intended performance of the structure and economy. This should be taken into consideration while choosing the repair method in order to end up with a structure that can serve for the intended service life. The type of crack, its location, dimensions, and many other factors shall be taken into account while selecting the suitable repair method. This paper is a review of the various types of cracks and repair techniques used in each case.