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STAGES IN INVESTIGATIONS
Routine inspection

THEME 3, LECTURE 3 Preliminary inspection

PLANNING
Initial stage

INVESTIGATIONS Preliminary desk study

PROFESSOR PETER ROBERY Initial diagnosis

Plan main investigation

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1 2

STAGES IN INVESTIGATIONS
Detailed stage STAGES IN INVESTIGATIONS
Appraisal & Evaluation

Main investigation
Interpretation
Structural
Sampling In situ testing Mapping Desk study assessment/
Final stage - Actions
design check
Prediction of Needs

Lab. testing

Options

Appraisal & evaluation

Selection of methods
(Development of actions)
3 4

3 4

PURPOSE OF INSPECTION PLANNING

Identify defects and probable causes Establish aims:

• Cracking related to construction • To obtain sufficient information on:
• Other defects related to construction • condition of structure
• Load induced cracking & design inadequacies
• causes of deterioration
• Environmental effects
• extent of deterioration
• Deterioration related to aggregate properties
• likely future deterioration
• Chemical attack
• remedial options
• Reinforcement corrosion
• extent of repair

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5 6

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STAGE 1: VISUAL INSPECTION DEFECT SURVEY

• Set up frame of reference Indications of potential durability problems

• Surface mapping • surface shrinkage crazing
• cracks • blow holes
• other surface features • cold joints
• Take photographs • honeycombing
• grout loss
• segregation
• scaling

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7 8

STAGE 1: VISUAL INSPECTION STAGE 1: VISUAL INSPECTION

• Cracks: • Significance of Crack Width:

• What is a crack? • Hairline (<0.05mm)
• Is it significant? • Likely structural range (≤0.3mm)
• Is it recent? • Excessively Wide Cracking (0.3mm – 5mm):
• Is it moving? • Structural Overload (e.g. yield of bar)
• Structural (S) or non-structural (NS)? • Non-structural cracks

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EXCESSIVE CRACKING THERMAL CRACKING

Possible Causes:
• Temperature increases by 14°C per 100 kg of cement if
• insufficient allowance for structural movement (S) pour <0.5m minimum dimension
• impact damage (S) • 400 kg/m3 mix can reach 60°C in its centre
• settlement/differential movement (S) • The outer surfaces are cooler so a thermal gradient is set
• thermal shrinkage cracks (NS) up Heat Loss
20 ºC

60 ºC

No Heat Loss if Insulated (e.g. on ground)

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11 12

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THERMAL CRACKING - DIFFERENTIALS THERMAL CRACKING - DIFFERENTIALS

So: How would you prevent thermal cracking due to
• Sets up tensile strains and cracking occurs in the young, core/surface differential?
weak concrete if δC ≥ 20°C • Use quilt insulation to maintain δC < 20°C
• Cracks can exceed 1mm or more • Use low heat cements (ggbs/pfa), minimising Tcore
• Once cracked other durability problems can occur (e.g. • Monitor the concrete core temperature
salt ingress, carbonation)
Tsurface = 20 ºC Tsurface = 20 ºC

Tcore = 60 ºC Tcore = 60 ºC

No Heat Loss if Insulated (e.g. on ground) No Heat Loss if Insulated (e.g. on ground)
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13 14

THERMAL CRACKING - RESTRAINT THERMAL CRACKING - RESTRAINT

• When the new concrete heats up, it expands and with • When the new concrete cools, it contracts against the
weak bond, slips along the larger mass (e.g. wall on slab) larger mass producing restrained thermal cracking

20 ºC 20 ºC

60 ºC 30 ºC

No Heat Loss if Insulated (e.g. on concrete) No Heat Loss if Insulated (e.g. on concrete)
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THERMAL CRACKING - RESTRAINT EXCESSIVE CRACKING

So: How would you prevent thermal cracking due to • insufficient allowance for structural movement (S)
wall/slab restraint? • impact damage (S)
• Use sufficient reinforcement to resist cracking • settlement/differential (S)
• Use low heat cements (ggbs/pfa), minimising Tcore • thermal shrinkage cracks (NS)
• Monitor the concrete temperature • plastic settlement (PSe) cracks (NS)
• plastic shrinkage (PSh) cracks (NS)
20 ºC
• drying shrinkage cracks (NS)
• alkali silica reaction [ASR/AAR] (S)
30 ºC
• underlying corrosion (S)

No Heat Loss if Insulated (e.g. on concrete)

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17 18

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ASR IDENTIFYING CRACKS

EXCESSIVE CRACKING PSe/PSh Appearance of cracks (after Fookes & Collis, 1976)

Loading, service
conditions
AAR/AMR
(aggregate mineral
reactions)
Corrosion

Drying shrinkage
Early thermal
contraction

Plastic shrinkage

Plastic settlement

1 hour 1 day 1 week 1 month 1 year 50 years

Ref: CS TR22 Time from placing concrete
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FEATURE MAPPING
STAGE 1: VISUAL INSPECTION BASIC RECORD SHEET
500
• Cracks >0.3mm, <0.3mm or crazing
• Spalling of concrete
• Corrosion of steel and rust staining/streaks
• Hollow (delaminated) surfaces
• Honeycombing due to poor compaction or grout loss
• Varying colour or texture (staining)
• Areas in which remedial finishing work had already been carried out
• External contamination or surface deposits
• Wet or damp surfaces with algal growth

STRUCTURE LOCATION DATE

21 22

21 22

FEATURE MAPPING
DELAMINATION/HOLLOWNESS
500

0.5 0.7 Hollow area

0.6 0.8
0.6 0.5
Rust stain
Exposed bar - heavily
0.4 corroded

STRUCTURE South Bridge LOCATION Pier P1 12/05/15

DATE Hammer tap survey of
delaminated surface concrete
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23 24

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SURFACE SPALLING (BEWARE COCKROACHES!)

PLANNING FOR STAGE 2

• Types of test
• Depend on initial diagnosis
• Types of sample
• Cores, dust-drillings, lumps or spalls
• Number of tests and samples
• Depend on objectives, size of structure and amount of deterioration
• Locations of tests and samples
• Ease of access
• Variability of concrete
• Access requirements
• Use of pre-drawn sketches and proformas

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NEXT LECTURE

Theme 3, Lecture 4: Testing and NDT Methods

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