CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS IN

CONCRETE STRUCTURES
Home » CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Defects in concrete structures can be due to poor construction

practices i.e. poor construction quality control at site or due to poor
structural design and detailing. But, after construction at site, the
common types of defects in concrete structures are honeycombing,
form failure or misalignment of formwork, dimensional errors, rock
pockets and finishing errors.

Honeycomb and rock pockets appear on the concrete surface where

voids are left due to failure of cement mortar to fill spaces around
and among coarse aggregates. This happens due to poor quality
control during mixing, transporting or placing of concrete. This can
also happen due to under or over-compaction of concrete, low
cement content or improper mix design. If these defects are minor,
can be repaired by using cement mortar grout just after removal of
the formwork. If the repair work is delayed more than 24 hours,
epoxy bonded concrete replacement should be used for such repair
works.

Defects in concrete surface due to misalignment of formwork or

movement or failure of formwork can be repaired with surface
grinding to maintain the verticality of the structure if the error is
minor. In case of major error, the concrete member shall be
repaired by removing the concrete in defective area and then
reconstructing that portion of the structural member using suitable
methods.

Dimensional errors in concrete structure result due to poor

centering of structural member as per drawing or error in detailing.
In that case, the structural member can be used if it can be
accepted for intentional purpose of the structure or can be
reconstructed.
Finishing errors in concrete structures can involve over-finishing of
the concrete surface or addition of more water or cement to the
surface during finishing of the concrete. This results in the porous
surface which make the concrete permeable resulting in less
durable concrete. Poor finishing of concrete results in the spalling of
concrete from surface early in their service life. Repair of spalling
involves removal of defective concrete and replacement with epoxy
bonded concrete. Read More: Concrete Repair / Protection Guide