Durability Evaluation of Concrete Crack Repair Systems

Abstract

Concrete cracking in highway bridges is a major problem because it not only accelerates the rate of deterioration, but it also can reduce the structural strength of the bridge. Crack repair systems have been developed to address this problem. For repairing structural cracks, six repair materials were evaluated for durability. The repair materials include one cementitious system, one modified cementitious system, two epoxy-based systems, and two high-molecular-weight methacrylate (HMWM) repair products. Each product was applied according to its manufacturer’s directions to repair beams with crack widths of 0.51 mm (0.02 in.), 6.35 mm (0.25 in.), and 12.70 mm (0.50 in.). The specimens are subjected to a standard freezing and thawing test followed by fatigue testing to failure. In general, epoxies and HMWMs performed the best. However, individual products varied significantly. Specimens repaired with the cementitious system were unable to resist any significant amount of fatigue-loading cycles.

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