2019/9/30 Routing and Sealing of Cracks in Concrete

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Routing and Sealing of Cracks in Concrete

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Routing and sealing of cracks in concrete can be used for dormant cracks not
involving the restoration of tensile strength. In this method the crack is enlarged
along its exposed face to form a V-shaped groove up to a minimum width of 6 mm
and a depth of 6 to 25 mm.

The groove thus formed is filled and sealed with suitable material. For relatively
lower performance of repair but to get quicker work, the routing operation can be
omitted. The surface of the repair material can be higher than that of the adjacent
concrete decreasing the level of aesthetic appearance.

This method is commonly used for both fine pattern cracks and large isolated but
dormant cracks. On roadway pavements, pouring hot tar within the cracks is a
simple and inexpensive method. When hot-poured joint sealants are used, it is
made sure that they bond with the concrete and do not melt and flow under
operating conditions.

In pavements, the grade of the sealant must be such that it can bear the moving
traffic without any damage. The groove over the crack may be made with hand-
held tools, concrete saw or pneumatic tools, which is then cleaned by air blasting,
sandblasting, or water-jetting to remove grease, oil or dirt. After cleaning with
water, the surface must be dried before the application of the sealant.

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2019/9/30 Routing and Sealing of Cracks in Concrete

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The procedure works the best for flat horizontal surfaces but can also be used on
vertical and curved surfaces when a non-sag sealant is employed. A common and
effective use of this technique is to waterproof the concrete surface where
water stands.

The sealants may be any material that is able to bear cyclic expansion and
contraction and which does not become brittle with time, including epoxies,
urethanes, silicones, polysulfides, asphaltic materials, or polymer mortars.

Cement grouts are avoided due to the chances of future cracking. A sealant is
placed into the dry groove and allowed to cure. In case it is desired that the sealant
must move freely without any resistance at the bottom, a bond breaker in the form
of polyethylene strip or tape, waxed paper and foil may be provided at the bottom
of the groove.

The groove in such applications is made rectangular and great care is exercised to
not debond the sealant from the side surfaces.

In some cases, strip coating or over-banding (having width of 25 to 75 mm on each

side of the crack and thickness of 1 to 2 mm) may be applied over the repair surface
obtained after routing and sealing to reduce chances of edge spalling and to make
the treatment more uniform

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2019/9/30 Routing and Sealing of Cracks in Concrete

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專業施工無縫地板及於國內自設廠房生產，
並在國內及香港進行鋪設工程。
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The coating can be of urethane in the form of a band. The process when used on a
larger scale is sometimes called blanketing.

Elastic sealant is a material which returns to its original shape when external
stresses are removed. The groove formed at top of crack to receive the sealant is
called “chase”. A bond breaker is required to be provided at the bottom of the
chase for elastic sealants.

The width and depth of the chase are decided such that the tensile stress in the
sealant material due to the movement in the crack should not exceed the cohesive
capacity of the material with a safety factor of 5 to cover aging and fatigue.

This tensile stress depends on the amount of movement of the joint, the depth of
sealant and the unbonded width of the sealant and its values ranges from 135 to
345 kPa. The width of the chase is kept six or more times the expected movement of
the joint to accommodate any possibility of compression at the joint.

The minimum depth of the chase is 20 to 25 mm. Usually rectangular chase is

preferred for elastic sealants.

If any reinforcement is exposed during cutting for the chase, the depth of chase is
increased such that the sealant can go behind the reinforcement bars. Clean the
bars and coat with bitumen before placing the elastic sealant.

The quality of the sealant can be checked in the field by pulling a layer of the
sealant. The failure must be by stripping away a skin of mortar or through the
sealant itself, but no separation should occur between the mortar and the sealant.

Read More:

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2019/9/30 Routing and Sealing of Cracks in Concrete

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(https://theconstructor.org/concrete/joints-in-concrete-structures/970/)

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(https://theconstructor.org/concrete/sealing-various-joint-types-in-
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Types of Sealants Used for Joints in Buildings -Properties, Uses, Working

(https://theconstructor.org/practical-guide/types-of-sealants-joints-in-
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About Gopal Mishra

(https://theconstructor.org/author/gopal-mishra/)

Gopal Mishra is a Civil Engineer from NIT Calicut and has more than 10 years of
experience in Civil Engineering and Construction. He is the founder of The Constructor.

金門無縫地板工程有限公司 - Epoxy工程專家
開啟
專業施工無縫地板及於國內自設廠房生產，並在國內及香港進行鋪設工程。
goldengate-hk.com
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