Concrete Crack Repair

What is a Concrete Crack?

Before defining about concrete crack, one should know about the structure of concrete and what does it mean. A concrete is a composite construction material that is composed of aggregate (a coarse particulate material that includes sand, crushed stone, gravel, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates), cement and water. A concrete is a building material that is being used for the foundations of structures of all kinds and for filling in the spandrels of arches or the hearting and backing of walls of ordinary houses and in building of more massive walls of engineering structures. Concrete as a material has relatively high compressive strength but relatively lower tensile strength and to overcome this weakness is reinforced with materials that are strong in the tensile strength (for example-Steel). Concrete has the tendency to develop cracks its elasticity is relatively constant at the low stress levels but starts decreasing at higher stress levels thereby developing matrix cracking. It is a common fact that all concrete structures crack to some extent due to shrinkage and tension. However, the most common causes of concrete crack can be as a result of one or a combination of factors and these includeThermal contraction, Drying shrinkage, Sub grade settlement, Applied loads, Tensile stress caused due to shrinkage or stresses occurring during usage or setting, Standing water or improper water drainage system. Moreover, concrete cracking cannot be prevented but it can be reduced or controlled when preventative steps are taken.

How to repair a concrete crack

Concrete crack repair is a simple process when the cracks are still small. In case of houses the concrete cracks appear in the basement either on the foundation wall or on the floor. Cracks may also develop on garage floor, ground pool or the patio. The following steps can be taken to repair Small/Narrow cracks and Large/Wider Cracks(1) Repairing Small/Narrow Cracks- For the repair of small cracks that are about 3 mm or 1.25 inch in diameter wide, you should remove any loose debris from the crack and the surrounding area with a broom or a wire brush. The next step involves filling the narrow crack with a masonry crack filler that comes in a cartridge designed to be used in a caulking gun. The other option includes filling

the cracks with a vinyl concrete patching compound duly smoothed with a putty knife. (2) Repairing Large/Wide Cracks- Repair of wide cracks require the same basic steps that are required for repairing small cracks but in this case, more advance techniques such as caulking or sand packing is used. The following below mentioned steps are required to be taken for repairing larger cracks and these are-

First, undercut the edges of the crack by using a small sledge hammer and chisel. Next step involves cleaning the area in and around the crack with a broom or wire brush and washing the area with a stream of water. Then afterwards, mix the vinyl patching compound as per the instructions of the product manufacturer and then trowel the compound into the cracks. The mixture should be tamped in order to remove the air pockets. In case, the patching mortar is used instead of vinyl patching compound, then it is required to mix it with the bonding agent instead of water or coat the edges of the surface by using bonding agent. The final step involves smoothing the mixture with trowel and when the patch has set in then you must brush the surface to match with the surrounding area for a smooth finished look.

In case of excessive damage to the concrete structure, the services of a professional structural engineer is required who will then conduct a risk assessment survey in order to find out the extent to which the structure is damaged and offer possible solutions for repairing the concrete crack.