MKAE 1123: Maintenance of Seismic Structures and
Materials
ASSIGNMENT 3
Bad Workmanship
Ahmed N. M. Almassri MKA 151175
LECTURER
DR. SOPHIA C. ALIH
Bad workmanship defects
One of the important reason for the damages incurred by the RC buildings is
workmanship defects. The handmade concretes was not in compliance with the
standards since the aggregate utilized in them was not sieved. Also the compaction
process was not properly implemented in general in the installment of concrete in RC
buildings. This situation resulted in the concrete to show an excessively porous
structure. Poor construction methods and workmanship is responsible for the failure of
buildings and structure. The poor construction methods and workmanship is caused due
to negligence and inadequate quality control at construction site. Some example of the
poor workmanship is faults in the connections of stirrups to the longitudinal bars,
inadequately anchorage lengths of the stirrup hooks and longitudinal bars.
Some effect and reason of the Bad workmanship and poor construction methods are
listed below :
1- Incorrect placement of steel
Incorrect placement of steel can result in insufficient cover, leading to corrosion of
the reinforcement. If the bars are placed grossly out of position or in the wrong
position, collapse can occur when the element is fully loaded.
2- Inadequate cover to reinforcement
Inadequate cover to reinforcement permits entry of moisture, and other
substances, leads to corrosion of the reinforcement and cracking of the concrete.
Figure 1 : Unsuitable concrete cover and adherence problem by virtue of unsuitable
spacing of longitudinal rebars
3- Incorrectly made construction joints
The main faults in construction joints are lack of preparation and poor
compaction. The old concrete should be washed and roughen before a layer of fresh
concrete laid. Poor joints allow moisture to enter.
4- Grout leakage
Grout leakage occurs where formwork joints do not fit together properly. The
result is a porous area of concrete that has little or no cement and fine aggregate. All
formwork joints should be properly sealed.
5- Poor compaction
If concrete is not properly compacted by ramming or vibration the result is
a portion of porous honeycomb concrete. Complete compaction is essential to give a
dense, waterproof concrete.
6- Segregation
Segregation occurs when the mix ingredients become separated. It is the result of :
1. dropping the mix through too great a height in placing (chutes or pipes should be
used in such cases)
2. large aggregate sinking due to over-vibration or use of too much plasticizer
Segregation results in uneven concrete texture, or porous concrete in some cases.
Figure 2 : Segregation in RC elements
Figure 3: Different concrete materials in a RC column produced in two stages
(Erdem Damca, et al, 2015)
7- Too high a water content
Excess water increases workability but decreases the strength and increases the
porosity of the hardened concrete, which can lead to corrosion of the reinforcement.
The correct water-to-cement ratio for the mix should be strictly enforced.
8- Poor curing
A poor curing procedure can result in loss of water through evaporation. This can cause
a reduction in strength if there is not sufficient water for complete hydration of the
cement. Loss of water can cause shrinkage cracking. During curing the concrete should
be covered.
Some photos of Damages on the structures during the October 23, 2011 Van
earthquake in Turkey
Figure 4: Non-proper granulometry and over porosity in a RC column, (Gedikbulak
Elementary School)
(Erdem Damca, et al, 2015)
Figure 5: The samples of cold joint defect, village of Gedikbulak
(Erdem Damca, et al, 2015)
Figure 6: Improper hook detailing in stirrups, (Erdem Damca, et al, 2015)
Criteria for implementation in Eurocode :
Minimum cover, cmin:
Where in-situ concrete is placed against an existing concrete surface (precast or
in-situ) the requirements for cover to the reinforcement from the interface may
be modified.
The concrete cover is the distance between the surface of the reinforcement
closest to the nearest concrete surface (including links and stirrups and surface
reinforcement where relevant) and the nearest concrete surface.
The greater value for Cmin satisfying the requirements for both bond and
environmental conditions shall be used
cmin = max {cmin,b; cmin,dur + cdur, - cdur,st - cdur,add; 10 mm}
where: cmin,b minimum cover due to bond requirement,
cmin,dur minimum cover due to environmental conditions,
cdur, additive safety element,
cdur,st reduction of minimum cover for use of stainless steel,
cdur,add reduction of minimum cover for use of additional protection,
Where a concrete surface is subject to erosion caused by ice or solid
transportation in running water the cover should be increased by a minimum of
10 mm.
Anchorage of links and shear reinforcement
The anchorage of links and shear reinforcement should normally be effected by
means of bends and hooks, or by welded transverse reinforcement. A bar should
be provided inside a hook or bend, see Figure 7.
Note : For c) and d) the cover should not be less than either 3 or 50 mm.
Anchorage of longitudinal reinforcement
Reinforcing bars, wires or welded mesh fabrics shall be so anchored that
the bond forces are safely transmitted to the concrete avoiding longitudinal
cracking or spalling. Transverse reinforcement shall be provided if
necessary, see Figure 8.
Methods of anchorage are :
Figure 8
