What is Distress of Concrete?

Distress in concrete members occurs with age due to corrosion in reinforcement, loading, settlement of foundations etc.
This distress in in building can be found by development of cracks in concrete members such as slabs, beams, columns
etc.
The cracking of concrete in building is developed in three stages:
1. Stage – I: Volume of rust formed due to corrosion of reinforcement is increased about 2.5 times the volume of steel.
With the result of corroded reinforcement bar presses the concrete outwards. Since concrete is poor in tension,
longitudinal cracks are developed along the reinforcement bar.
2. Stage – II: Longitudinal cracks in RCC provide wide access to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and moisture with result
excessive carbonation starts and structural damages starts. Fear in the mind of users starts.
3. Stage – III: In this stage cover comes out and causes danger to the life of structure and structure becomes
unserviceable.
Distress of Concrete and its Remedial Measures
Remedial Measures for Distressed Concrete
1. At design stage
(i) Adequate cover to concrete should be planned.
(ii) Adequate thickness of structural members particularly non-structural members e.g. chajjas, parapets, pergolas and
fins etc. should be provided.
(iii) Proper detailing of reinforcement specially at junctions should be designed to avoid congestion and to ensure smooth
placement of concrete.
2. At the construction stage
(i) Concrete should be workable with minimum water cement ratio (< 0.45). It should be well compacted by vibrator.
Thus we should try to achieve highest density with minimum void.
(ii) Ensure proper grading and quality of aggregate free from deleterious material.
(iii) Use potable water only.
(iv) Leak proof and properly designed from work should be used. Ensure proper mixing, placement, compaction and
curing of concrete. No segregation, honeycombing is allowed.
(v) Use of plasticizers and super-plasticizers to achieve workability for controlled water-cement ratio in placement of
concrete in congested conditions.
vi) Binding wires to be turned inside (should not touch formwork). G.I. wires to be used in aggressive environment.
(vii) Proper cover with dense concrete / mortar is must.
(viii) Provision of drip course for projections should be made.
(ix) Proper cement to be used to prevent sulphate and chloride attack.
(x) Cement not more than 3 months old should be used.
3. Protection of reinforcement bars
Protection to reinforcement bars against corrosion can also be provided by:
(i) Using corrosion resistant steel
Constituents of steel alloy are adjusted to resist corrosion.
(ii) Fusion bonded epoxy coating
This process has good results in protecting reinforcement bars from corrosion. Powder epoxy is fusion bonded to bar at
about 2500C temperature.
This is being used in coastal areas particularly in Mumbai in prestigious projects like Bridges, Flyovers, Shipyards and
Jetties. Loss of bond is about 20%. IS:13620 – 1993 provides the specification for “Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coated
Reinforcement Bars”.
(iii) Passive coating with polymer based cement slurry:
In this process, reinforcement bars are cleaned for rust and freshly prepared polymer cement slurry is applied by brushes.
(iv) Protective epoxy coating:
Certain epoxy coating are also available in the market. Firstly rust is removed by wire brush or sand blasting. Thereafter,
epoxy as per manufacturer’s specifications are applied by spray / brush. Loss of bond may be upto 30%.

DISTRESS IN STRUCTURES
DISTRESS IDENTIFICATION
Before attempting any repair procedure it is necessary to have a planned approach to investigate the condition of concrete
and reinforcement. While the diagnosis of damage or deterioration in some cases is reasonably straightforward, it may
not be so in many cases. Particularly difficult are cases in which the cause and effect phenomenon cannot be readily
explained or when prognosis in terms of long-term performance of restored structure is to be made

This will require a thorough technical inspection and an understanding of the behaviour of the structural component,
which is being repaired. Inspection calls for detailed mapping of affected areas, documentation of type and location of
symptoms and their history and photographic evidences. It may also include the environmental factors, which are likely
to accelerate the damage process. Existence of concealed ducts, water lines, wet areas require special attention. Some
areas impose severe limitations on access to damaged areas. A comprehensive inspection data helps in making an
effective strategy for repair and rehabilitation.

Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of concrete and components are well known and extensively used. While they are
very good tools for establishing quality levels in new constructions, applying these techniques to damaged structures
requires certain level of experience and understanding of limitations of these methods. Solving the problem successfully
is entirely dependent on the ability of a team of experts engaged to do this job. Both field and laboratory tests are
available. It is important to select the appropriate Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques and location of
investigation. This is a specialised job and requires sophisticated instruments and trained personnel. A single technique
may not be adequate and a combination of techniques has to be adopted to get a truly representative data on the condition
of the building.

Once the evaluation phase has been completed for a structure, the next step is to establish the cause or causes for the
damage that has been detected. Since many of the symptoms may be caused by more than one mechanism acting upon
the concrete, it is necessary to have an understanding of the basic underlying causes of damage and deterioration. This
chapter presents information on the common causes of problems in concrete. These causes are shown in Table 3 1. Items
shown in the table are discussed in the subsequent sections of this chapter with the following given for each: (1) brief
discussion of the basic mechanism; (2) description of the

most typical symptoms, both those that would be observed during a visual examination and those that would be seen
during a laboratory evaluation; and (3) recommendations for preventing further damage to new or replacement concrete.
The last section of the chapter presents a logical method for relating the symptoms or observations to the various causes