BUILDING DEFECTS

INDEX

1. STRUCTURAL DEFECTS OF CONCRETE 3. FUNGUS AND PLANTS GROWTH

a) HONEYCOMB a) PLANT GROWTH
b) PITTING b) MOSS AND FUNGUS GROWTH
c) HOLES
d) EXPOSED
e) CRACKING
f) CONCRETE CANCER

2. DEFECTS DUE TO WATER 4. EFFLORESCENCE

a) DAMPNESS IN WALLS
o SEEPAGE OF WATER
o DUE TO PIPE LEAKING
o DEFECTIVE PIPES IN ADJECENT APARTMENTS
o DETERIOTING FLOOR SLAB
1. STRUCTURAL DEFECTS OF CONCRETE
A. HONEY COMB
Causes of Honeycomb:-
1. The small slump of concrete, improper
mix ratio or inaccurate measurement of
raw materials result in less mortar, more
stones and insufficient vibration time or
vibration leakage.
2. Poor homogeneity and insufficient Repair Of Honeycomb:-
mixing of concrete.
3. Framework leakage. 1. For minor honeycombs, wash and repair with 1:2
cement mortar.
4. Free dumping height exceeding the 2. Larger honeycombs, chiseled away weak and loose
stipulation, concrete segregation, stones
piled up. particles, washed and molded, carefully tampered
with high-strength fine stone concrete.
5. The vibration time is insufficient and the 3. Deep honeycombs can be grouted with cement
bubbles are not eliminated. after burying grouting pipes and exhaust pipes,
plastering the surface with mortar.
B) PITTING

Causes of Pitting :-
1. The surface of the formwork is rough or
adheres to debris, and the concrete
surface is damaged when the formwork
is removed.
2. The formwork is not watered or watered
enough, and concrete loose too much
water, form pits.
3. Formwork isolation reagent is unevenly
painted, and the surface of concrete
bonds with the formwork, resulting in
pitting.
Repair Pitting :-
4. There are gaps between the formworks. 1. Preparing concrete with original concrete mixing
5. The concrete is loosed, and the bubbles ratio, repairing the pitting after the pitting is well
are stop on the surface of the formwork watered. If whitewash walls, don’t do anything.
to form pits.
 C) HOLE
Causes of Holes :- Repair of holes:-
1. Where the reinforcement is densely or the 1. Remove loose concrete and soft grouting
reserved holes and buried parts are mould around the hole and grout it with 8%
located, the concrete grouting is not
smooth, and the concrete not be expansion agent mixed with high strength fine
compacted by vibration. stone concrete after full watering.
2. Concrete surface treatment, remove floating
2. Concrete segregation, mortar separation, stones, check whether the concrete surface is
stones piled up, serious slurry running.
dense after chipping.
3. The concrete is blocked by tools, blocks, 3. Then coat a layer of cement mortar on the
mud and other debris. interface between new and old concrete.
4. Check the concrete strength of the repairing
wall.
5. A higher grade concrete mixed with expansion
reagent is used to repair the holes.
6. After 12 hours of repairing, watered the parts,
and the curing time > 5 days.
D) EXPOSED STEEL REINFORCEMENT

Causes of Exposed Steel Reinforcement :-

1. Displacement of reinforced protective
cushion block or too little or leakage of
cushion block during concrete grouting.
2. Small cross-section of structural
members, too dense reinforcing bars,
cement mortar can not be filled around
reinforcing bars.
3. Improper mixing ratio of concrete results Repairing of Exposed Steel Reinforcement :-
in break-off.
1. After cleaning, 1:2 cement mortar is
4. The concrete cover is too small applied on the surface.
5. Formwork isn’t watered well, bonding or 2. If the exposed steel reinforcement part is
remove prematurely. deep, the interface should be treated
well and compacted with high-grade fine
stone concrete.
E) CRACKING

Causes of Cracking :-
1. The water cement ratio is too large, the
surface produces air holes and cracks.
2. Excessive cement consumption leads to
shrinkage cracks.
3. Poor or untimely curing, surface
dehydration, shrinkage cracks. How To Repair Cracking :-
4. The slump is too big, the grouting is too 1. For fine cracks, pour pure cement slurry into the
high and too thick. cracks, embedding, covering and curing, clean the
cracks, brush epoxy cement twice after drying or
5. The steel protective layer is too thin and
cracks along the reinforcement. paste epoxy glass cloth to seal the surface.
2. For deep or penetrating cracks, epoxy resin grouting
is applied and epoxy cement is applied to seal the
surface.
F) CONCRETE CANCER
Causes of Concrete cancer :-
1. A poorly poured substrate which has allowed moisture to seep into it
through cracks and voids
2. Inadequate preparation of the reinforcing steel when the original concrete
was poured.
3. The ends of the reinforcing are too close to the surface. In heavy rains,
water may seep through causing lime and other chemicals in the steel to
oxidise.
4. Stress fractures from bearing weight or general wear-and-tear allow water
to penetrate the concrete and react with the steel.

Concrete cancer treatment :-

It's not enough to just render over the concrete to hide the rusting steel, as the
rusting process will just continue underneath.
1. Removing all crummy and flaking concrete.
2. Removing all rust from the reinforcing steel.
3. Applying anti-corrosives to the steel.
4. Applying a fresh render to restore the original look of the concrete.
5. Applying a waterproof coating to prevent further damage.
 2. DEFECTS DUE TO
WATER
A. DAMPNESS IN WALL
Causes of Dampness in Buildings :-
1. Dampness rising through the foundation
walling – Moisture from wet ground may
rise well above the ground level on account
of capillary action.
2. Splashing rain water which rebounds after
hitting the wall surface may also cause
dampness. Prevention of Dampness :-
3. Penetration of rain water through 1. By providing a layer of damp-proofing material between the
unprotected tops of walls, parapet, foundation and the plinth, to check the rising of moisture
compound walls, etc may cause dampness. from the sub-soil.
4. Sloped roofs, rain water may percolate 2. By plastering the external walls which are subjected to
through defective roof covering. Faulty showers of rain by cement mortar, so that rain water may
eaves course and eave or valley gutters may not percolate in.
allow the rain water to descend through 3. By providing copings on the top of walls and parapets. This
the top supporting wall and cause will prevent descending of moisture from the top of the
dampness. walls.
8 Water Seepage
Causes:
8.1 Leakage from Pipes
• In many cases water seepage is caused by defective water pipes, drainage pipes or sanitary
fitments. Over time, pipes develop defects as their features age and rust. Moreover, the earth’s
forces cause constant natural shifts in your building’s foundation. Such movement causes the pipe’s
joints to loosen and separate over time. Users of the building also further contribute to the issue by
clogging pipes. Through the disposal of solid household items, pipes become choked with foreign
items. This in turn increases the pressure when water is being drained, thus causing wear and tear
within the pipe.
• For cases which involve visible pipe leaks, home owners may attempt to perform simple repair
works. However, in the event that a pipe leak is not readily evident, building owners should engage
licensed water leakage professionals to trace the source of the leakage and to pinpoint the defect in
the pipe.
8.2 Defective Pipes in Adjacent Apartments
• Oftentimes, the defective pipe may be concealed behind false walls or even within the premise of a
neighboring apartment. It should also be noted the defective pipes need not be within the area in
which water leakage is seen. Water can travel long distances due to natural forces such as gravity
and wind, following a path of least resistance. As such, finding the defective pipe can be a much
tougher task than the actual repairing of it.
8.3 Deteriorating Floor Slabs and Bathroom Seals
• Bathrooms are a common source of water seepage given the number of pipes and water-based
appliances found in them. However, pipes are not the sole source of water leakages. Instead, the
tile walls and floor may be the culprit. Surfaces of the bathroom are constantly in contact with
water, as such it should come as no surprise that they also leak water over time.
Prevention
Check for any cracks in the walls and seal them
• Over time, the walls of your house can develop cracks, which typically start near the door and window frames. These
cracks allow moisture to get into the structure of your building and cause damp patches. All these gaps need to be
filled with crack fill putty. Once the gaps and cracks are filled, all the loose plaster is removed and the wall is then
re-painted. Just make sure you do this before the monsoon starts.
Waterproof the external walls and roof
• Many exterior paints used on buildings are permeable and allow water to seep from the exteriors of your house to the
interior walls. To prevent seepage, exterior waterproofing coats are required for the external walls A waterproof coat
will create a barrier to the rain water and moisture, and prevent damp walls in your home.
• Waterproofing the roof is just as crucial as waterproofing external walls. The terrace is exposed to harsh weather
conditions and water easily accumulates on the surface resulting in leakage and damp patches on the interiors. Roofs
should ideally have a waterproof roof coating which acts as a sealant and prevents seepage of water.
Install a damp proof course
• A damp proof course is a preventive measure to prevent ground water from rising up through the walls of your house.
In a damp proof course, a preventive barrier of an impervious material ( something that doesn’t allow water to pass
through) is constructed into the brick wall about 150mm above ground level. This prevents any moisture from the
ground rising through the walls and causing damage.
• Most buildings are usually constructed with a damp proof course in place. However, if you’ve noticed damp patches on
the lower portion of your walls, the damp proof course may need replacing. This is an intensive job that needs to be
done right. Therefore, its best to get a professional to evaluate the damage and replace the damp proof course if
necessary.
Grunting and pressure grouting
• Gunting: It refers to the process of spraying a layer of concrete mixture to pipes and walls, making it waterproof.
• Pressure Grouting: This process refers to applying a mixture of cement and sand with a jet into cracks, voids or fissures
present in a structure.
 3. FUNGUS AND PLANT
GROWTH
A) PLANT GROWTH
Treatment :-
Causes :-
1. Whenever you notice
• Some plants, not all, have the ability to grow such improper plant
on buildings. growth in your
• This is done by animals, they eat plants and buildings,
non digestable seeds excreta. immediately uproot
• When these excreta falls on buildings and if the it. Make sure you
conditions favor plant growth, the seed remove it completely
germinates. They generally grow on cracks and with the root.
holes in buildings because water gets collected 2. Identify and fill holes
in it, keeping moisture intact for the roots and and cracks in your
the soil in cracks is more penetrable than a building with cement
newly painted wall. and maintain it
• Impact: When the roots grow deeper, they regularly. If there are
weaken the wall and result in destruction of more birds in your
the whole building. This happens mostly in area, you have to
uninhabited buildings where nobody cares to check for cracks and
remove them. Plants are good, but when holes more
carelessly left can result in several frequently.
consequences.
B) MOSS GROWTH
Causes:- Prevention and treatment:-
Mosses stay dormant in dry weather, but can revive during rainy
• Modify the Landscape: Decrease the
periods and can usually be found growing on any surface where amount of shade on your exterior walls by
conditions are shady and moist, including rocks, tree bark, soil and trimming trees and shrubs so they don’t
exterior walls. overhang or touch your walls. Keep your
Moss growth resembles thin, tangled hairs initially, but as it roof clean as well by sweeping away debris
matures, buds appear and tiny stalks and leaves grow from these such as leaves, pine needles and dirt.
buds. • Preventative Maintenance: Green or black
The north sides of buildings and roofs are ideal locations for moss discoloration on the wall is an early
growth because they receive less sunlight than other exposures, so indicator of moss growth. Remove any
it takes longer for moisture to dry. signs of growth by scrubbing or using a
pressure washer.
• Chemical Treatment: Two types of
low-toxicity products are used to kill moss:
soap-based and acid-based. To treat moss
growth on exterior walls, the soap-based
products are best, because acid-based
treatments can damage metal and discolor
wood, tile and concrete. Soap-based
products also clean your walls as they kill
the moss.
 4. EFFLORESCENCE
Causes:-
• Efflorescence requires the movement of
moisture. Without moisture movement
there would be no efflorescence on the
surface to create the problem.
Unfortunately, too many finishers (non-ACI
Certified Finishers) routinely introduce
large amounts of unnecessary "water of Treatment :-
convenience" to the mix in order to • The most prudent course of action includes stripping the sealer
facilitate concrete placement.
in order to conduct a test to determine the rate of vapor
• Primary efflorescence is caused by the transfer and then develop a remedial strategy. It is important to
water in the concrete evaporating from the get it right the second time so take time to diagnosis the causes
slab leaving behind the soluble salts on the as best you can with the information available
concrete surface.
• Where slabs have continued to have efflorescence problems
• Secondary efflorescence is often described even after the application of a lithium or silicate densifier
as water coming from underneath the slab contractors have used a finish or polish, which are industrial
or water that is introduced from the grade "mop and glow" - low build, low solids micronized acrylic
surface. Likely sources of secondary water based products as the final treatment. These finishes and
efflorescence would be a saturated base
polishes can also be used over film forming sealers to add
abrasion resistance.