ABSTRACT
Repair deterioration rates have been aggravated and accelerated by poor construction resulting from shortcomings in design, specifications, supervision, workmanship and quality control. Inadequate workmanship, procedures, or materials results in inferior repairs which ultimately fail. The need for repairs can vary from such minor imperfections to major damage resulting from structural failure. This method of repair can only prove to be successful if the new material interacts well with the parent concrete and forms a durable barrier against ingress of carbon dioxide and chlorides. The properties and durability of repair systems are governed by properties of the three phases namely, repair, existing substrate, and interface (transition zone) between them (Vaysburd et al. 2001). Properly designed, implemented, and functioning man-made systems, with a minimum number of undesirable side effects, require the application of a well-integrated systems approach as reported by Emmons & Vaysburd (1995). Smoak (2002) reported that in evaluating the causes of failures, it is essential to consistently use a systematic approach to concrete repair. The main goal of any concrete repair system is a high performance structure, regardless of what materials have been used in repairing the deteriorated structure (Poston et al. 2001).
