Guide to Concrete Repair

For many years, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has published the Concrete Manual, the first edition dated July 1938, and more recently, the Standard Specifications For Repair of Concrete, M-47, the first edition dated November 1970. The subsequent revisions of these two documents (Bureau of Reclamation, 1975 and 1996), particularly chapter 7 of the Concrete Manual, have formed the basis for nearly all concrete repair performed on Reclamation projects during the past 25 years. Reclamation operates and maintains a water resources infrastructure, located primarily in the harsh climatic zones of the Western United States, valued at over $17 billion. It has become apparent that there is need for modernization and expansion of the information on the methods, materials, and procedures of concrete repair originally found in chapter 7 of the Concrete Manual. This Guide to Concrete Repair results from recognition of that need. It is designed to serve as a companion document to the "Standard Specifications for Repair of Concrete" included in appendix A of this guide. This guide first discusses Reclamation's methodology for concrete repair. It then addresses the more common causes of damage to Reclamation concrete, including suggestions of the types of repair methods and materials most likely to be successful in repairing concrete damage resulting from those causes. Finally, the guide contains a detailed description of the uses, limitations, materials, and procedures of each of the standard repair methods/materials included in the "Standard Specifications for Repair of Concrete."