Failure of concrete repair: how to avoid it?

Title: Failure of concrete repair: how to avoid it?
Author(s): Luc Courard, Andrzej Garbacz
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International RILEM Symposium on Advances in Concrete through Science and Engineering
Editor(s): J. Marchand, B. Bissonnette, R. Gagné, M. Jolin and F. Paradis
Print-ISBN: 2-35158-003-6
e-ISBN: 2351580028
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2006
Pages: 167 - 191
Total Pages: 25
Nb references: 43
Language: English

Abstract: Concrete remains a performing and durable material but the explosion of the quantity of concrete used for constructions and buildings after the Second World War has resulted in an acceleration of maintenance and repair operations on such structures. After fifty years life, problems occur and it is necessary to operate. At the border - interface - between materials science and engineering, repair systems and techniques have to be chosen and used regarding the enhancement of the duration of life or the reinforcement of the structure. Interface quality is the first parameter that will influence repair quality. Quality is uneasy to define but, at the level of interface, it could integrate all what favours the contact between concrete substrate and repair materials. The “appetency” or compatibility between the different materials appears to be of prime importance: shrinkage, rigidity, surface roughness, viscosity…etc. will make the contact effective or not and allow interactions of variable intensity between the materials. Moreover, between aggregates, sand particles and cement paste, there are zones of higher porosity and whom influence is unknown. Defining and clearly quantifying what is the effect of Interfacial Transition Zone (I.T.Z.) seems to be of prime importance for adhesion phenomenon explanation: topology measurement, image analysis and microscopic observations can be used for investigations.

Online publication: 2006-08-02
Classification: 2.3 Theme 3: Monitoring, Repair and Maintenance of Concrete Structures
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00
doi: 10.1617/2351580028.012