Concrete Troubleshooting

Diagnosing What Went Wrong and Why

Presented at:

January 11, 2006

Presented by:
Michelle L. Wilson

Portland Cement Association

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Founded in 1916
Headquarters:
Skokie, Illinois
USA

Mission: to improve and extend the

uses of portland cement and concrete
through market development,
engineering, research, education,
and public affairs work.

Types of Concrete
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Bookcrete

Labcrete

Realcrete

Discussion:
z Essentials

of Quality Concrete
z Avoiding Problems
z Low Strength
z Identifying Surface Defects
Causes
Prevention
Cure

Quality Concrete
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A mixture of CEMENT, WATER, and

AGGREGATES that will meet the requirements
under which it is expected to serve.

Fresh Concrete Properties

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Consistency

Workability

Uniformity

Bleeding

Setting &
Hardening

Hardened Concrete Properties

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Hydration
Drying Rate
Strength
Durability
Permeability &
Watertightness
Volume Stability &
Crack Control
Aesthetics

Why do concrete problems occur?

Avoiding Problems
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Design- Constructability
Mix Design
Materials Selection
Placement Procedures
Environment

Design

Workmanship

Environment

Troubleshooting Concrete
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Meeting Strength

Visual Distress

Strength of Concrete
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Compressive
StrengthMeasured
Resistance of
Concrete to
Axial Loading.

Factors Impacting Strength

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w/cm
Age
Air Content
Aggregate Bond
Handling
Curing
Temperature
Testing Errors

Transporting Test Cylinders

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After One Day

Packed in a Sturdy Box
Surrounded with Wet Sand or
Wet Saw Dust
Protected Against Freezing

Test Cylinders at the Lab

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ASTM C 39 Testing Cylinders

Capping

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Measurements
Testing

ASTM C 617 Capping

ASTM C 1231 Unbonded Caps

Maximum Load
Strength, within 10 psi

Conical Failure

Typical Specification Limits

ASTM C 94 (ACI 318)
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The average of any three

consecutive strength tests shall
be equal to, or greater than, the
specified strength, f c.

No individual strength test shall

be more than 500 psi [3.5 MPa]
below the specified strength, f c
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Low Strengths
Test

Individual Strengths
fc = 3000

Aver of 2
Strengths

Avg. of
3 Tests

Evaluation

3110 + 3080 = 6190

3095

OK

3060 + 3020 = 6080

3040

OK

3120 + 3160 = 6280

3140

3092

OK

2980 + 3010 = 5990

2995

3058

OK

2800 + 2860 = 2830

2830

2988

Avg of 3

3040 + 3100 = 3070

3070

2965

Avg of 3

2510 +2460 = 2485

2485

2795

< 500 psi

Avg of 3

What to Do?
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Increase Cementitious Materials

Change Mix Proportions
Reduce or Better Control Slump
Reduce Delivery Time
Closer Control of Air Content
Improve Quality of Testing

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Apply Judgement
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1 in 100 Tests Fail Even Though

Concrete Strength and
Uniformity May Be Satisfactory
Allowance for Statistically
Expected Variations
Investigation of Low Strengths
Nondestructive Testing
Compressive Strengths of Cores

Identify Concrete Surface Defects

ACI 201.1 R
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Blistering
Bugholes
Delaminations
Crazing
Cracking
Honeycombing
Cold Joint
Discoloration

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Staining
Efflorescence
Dusting
Freezing
Popouts
Mortar Flaking
Scaling
Spalling

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z When

troubleshooting
concrete problems it is
important to relate the
symptom to causes of
distress and deterioration.

Surface DefectsBlistering
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The irregular raising of a thin layer

at the surface of placed mortar or
concrete during or soon after
completion of the finishing
operation.

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Surface DefectsBugholes
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Small regular or irregular cavities,

usually not exceeding 15 mm in
diameter, resulting from
entrapment of air bubbles in the
surface of formed concrete during
placement and compaction.

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Surface DefectsDelamination
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A separation along a plane

parallel to a surface. In the case
of a concrete slab, a horizontal
splitting, cracking, or separation of
a slab in a plane roughly parallel
to, and generally near, the upper
surface.

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Sealing The Surface

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Improper Tooling
Traps Bleed Water
and Air Beneath Layer
of Mortar

Surface DefectsCrazing
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Fine, random cracks or fissures in

the surface of plaster, cement
paste, mortar, or concrete.

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Surface DefectsCracking
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A complete or incomplete
separation, of either concrete or
masonry, into two or more parts
produced by breaking or
fracturing.

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Surface DefectsHoneycombing
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Voids left in concrete due to

failure of the mortar to effectively
fill the spaces among course
aggregate particles.

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Surface DefectsCold Joint

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Visible lines on the surfaces of

formed concrete indicating the
presence of joints where one
layer of concrete had hardened
before subsequent concrete was
placed.

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Surface DefectsDiscoloration
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A departure of color from that

which is normal or desired.

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Surface DefectsStaining
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Spotted or mottled light or dark

blotches.

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Surface DefectsEfflorescence
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Deposit, usually white, formed on

a surface, the substance having
emerged in solution from within
concrete or masonry and
subsequently having been
precipitated by evaporation.

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Surface DefectsDusting
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Development of a fine, powdery

material at the surface of
hardened concrete.

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Use Ventilated Heaters

Surface DefectsFreezing
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Up to 50% reduction of ultimate

strength can occur if frozen

Within a few hours

Before reaching a strength of
3.5 MPa (500psi)

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Surface DefectsPopouts
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Conical fragment that breaks from

the concrete surface. A fractured
aggregate particle is often at the
bottom of the hole.

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Surface DefectsMortar Flaking

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A form of scaling over coarse

aggregate (popoffs)

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Surface DefectsScaling
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Local flaking or peeling away of

the near-surface portion of
concrete or mortar.

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Surface DefectsSpalling
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A fragment, usually in the shape

of a flake, detached from a larger
mass by a blow, by the action of
weather, by pressure, or by
expansion within the larger mass.

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Avoiding Problems
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Design- Constructibility
Mix Design
Materials Selection
Placement Procedures
Environment

Good Design and

Prevention of Defects =
Attractive, Quality Concrete

Whats Wrong With This Picture?

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www.cement.org

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