Performance properties of concrete repair materials

Maintenance, repair and strengthening of concrete structures has become a very important part of the activities of the concrete industry. This is reflected in the innumerable proprietary repair materials available in the market and the substantial increase in the number of firms offering specialist maintenance and repair services. Because proprietary compounds are relatively expensive and because the life cost of a repaired structure is also potentially very high. there is much need to provide engineers and specifiers with independent data with which to make appropriate decisions in this field. This paper presents information which arises from a large project on the evaluation of the performance and durability of repair materials being carried out at the Civil Engineering Materials Unit, University of Leeds. The paper includes data on the performance related properties of the following materials: 1. a commercial pre-packed cementitious material; 2. a commercial pre-packed cementitious material modified with polymer; 3. a pozzolanic cement containing 70% ordinary Portland cement and 30% pulverised fuel ash; 4. an ordinary Portland cement containing a commercial organic corrosion inhibitor. The test carried out for evaluation of the repair materials were: compressive strength, bond strength, porosity and permeability. The laboratory results are discussed and the implication of potential performance of the repair materials evaluated. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.