Chances are if you’re asking this question… It does. But let’s go through the list of tell-tale signs indicating the need for concrete restoration:

• Visible cracks in exterior walls and floors / ceilings (slabs) 

• Loose and/or missing chunks of concrete

• Loose and cracked stucco is often associated with water intrusion and concrete deterioration

• Dark spots and lines in stucco on walls indicate water intrusion and loose stucco

• Raised sections of tiling or walkway coatings; loose balcony tiles

• Paint and waterproofing coating defects can lead to water intrusion and concrete deterioration

• loose handrails, screen frames, and windows/doors are often associated with concrete deterioration

• Water intrusion into interior spaces is often associated with concrete deterioration

• Efflorescence – white crystal-like deposits on exterior surfaces indicate water intrusion and concrete deterioration

Chances are if you’re asking this question… It does. But let’s go through the list of tell-tale signs indicating the need for concrete restoration:

• Visible cracks in exterior walls and floors / ceilings (slabs) 

• Loose and/or missing chunks of concrete

• Loose and cracked stucco is often associated with water intrusion and concrete deterioration

• Dark spots and lines in stucco on walls indicate water intrusion and loose stucco

• Raised sections of tiling or walkway coatings; loose balcony tiles

• Paint and waterproofing coating defects can lead to water intrusion and concrete deterioration

• loose handrails, screen frames, and windows/doors are often associated with concrete deterioration

• Water intrusion into interior spaces is often associated with concrete deterioration

• Efflorescence – white crystal-like deposits on exterior surfaces indicate water intrusion and concrete deterioration

Concrete “spalling” refers to concrete deterioration, usually caused by reinforcing steel corrosion. The time-to-corrosion of the steel reinforcement is greatly accelerated by water penetration of the concrete (lack of waterproofing) and proximity to salt water bodies or sources of aggravating chemicals:

• Reinforced Concrete is a composite material – Concrete for compression strength & steel for tensile strength

• Concrete is a porous material – Water can easily permeate concrete without proper waterproofing

• Water in the concrete carries impurities with it such as dissolved salts (chlorides) near the coast

• Water reaching the reinforcing steel surface causes the steel corrosion reaction

• Less resistance to water intrusion increases the corrosion rate and reduces time to concrete deterioration

• The presence of chlorides greatly increases the corrosion rate and reduces time to concrete deterioration

• The reinforcing steel corrosion by-product (rust) has more volume than the clean steel. Fe –> Fe++

• The increase in volume occurring deep inside the concrete creates pressure pushing out in all directions.

• Concrete has little to no tensile strength, so the increased pressure results in cracked concrete (visible spall)

• Cracked concrete means reduced effective cross section of concrete and loss of compressive strength

• Loss of reinforcing steel cross section due to corrosion results in loss of tensile strength

• The resulting visible concrete spall indicates loss of structural strength at the this site

If you suspect a building or other structure requires concrete restoration, you need to understand that structural repairs may be required. The first thing to do is call in a qualified engineer to evaluate the structure. 

Owners or there representatives will often reach out to contractors for repair quotes. However this is not the correct approach, as the restoration process for a structure is tightly regulated (for good reason) and requires professional oversight by a qualified engineer. A good contractor will often advise of the need for an engineer, as they cannot provide specifications for the repairs. Other contractors may recommend certain procedures, and any one of a number of contractor may approach the problem differently.

The engineer working on your behalf will conduct a visual observation of the structure, with physical sounding where necessary to determine the need for repairs, and what procedures if any are required. If repairs are required, a detailed list is drawn up with line items and corresponding quantities. These quantities are then used as the basis for a repair project manual with all specifications pre-determined, for the contractors to provide competitive bids, on an apples-to-apples basis.

Typical repairs that can occur during concrete restoration include:

• Exterior walkway and balcony slab repairs at floors and ceilings

• Slab edge repairs at exterior walkways and balconies

• Wall crack repairs at block walls and at poured concrete walls

• Beam and column concrete and steel repairs 

• Reinforcing steel repair and/or replacement inside concrete at repair sites

• Stucco repairs at loose and/or delaminated sites

• Stucco and floor tile removal at loose sites to uncover the concrete 

• Wall and floor repairs at equipment rooms and swimming pools

• Expansion joint replacement and/or repairs

• Repairs to steel structural elements and coverings

• Repairs to wood structural elements and coverings

• Waterproofing of decks and walkways and other exterior horizontal surfaces

• Painting of the structure after the repairs

• Caulking repairs and/or replacement at window and door wall openings is recommended

In addition, there are ancillary procedures that are sometimes required, in order to repair the deteriorated structural elements, such as:

• Removal of doors and windows when necessary to access the concrete repair sites

• Removal of handrails and screen enclosures when necessary to access the concrete repair sites

• Building temporary dustwalls inside the units when necessary to protect the unit interiors

• Temporary shoring of the structural elements to be repaired

• Erecting scaffolding on the sides of, or rigging on the roof of, the building

• Other site safety and protection measures may be required

Buildings that are near water bodies and/or in humid climates tend to experience concrete deterioration earlier in the life-cycle than those in dry climates and far from water bodies.

Generally, it can be expected that concrete restoration will occur every ten years, concurrent with the painting cycle, for those buildings that are experiencing concrete deterioration. 

Concrete restoration of an entire building is a large project that can result in significant expense to the Owner(s). The cost varies depending on size, scope, and extent of damage. The cost of the project can be controlled and minimized with proper planning and sound management.

The key initiatives to control project cost are:

• Evaluation and quantification up-front and prior to contractor bids, by an experienced engineer

• Identification of possible ancillary procedures, up-front and prior to contractor bids

• A quantity-based contract will result in more competitive bids, as this results in less risk to the contractors

• Competitive bidding by multiple qualified contractors in a blind process

• Monitoring and documentation of repair quantities during the project – This is done by the engineer

• Review of contractor payment applications and billed quantities – This is typically done by the engineer

Concrete restoration of an entire building is unfortunately a large, disruptive and lengthy project. However these inconveniences can be controlled and minimized with proper planning and sound management.

The owner benefits greatly from having an Owner’s Representative involved in the project, to look out for their interests. The Owner’s Representative can be a dedicated 3rd party Owner’s Representative; a 3rd party property manager, or a Board member or employee of a Corporation can act as the Owner’s Representative. The Engineering firm providing inspections and oversight of the project can assign a Project Manager to act as Owner’s Representative.

The Owner’s Representative, the engineer, and the contractor’s representative (often a project manager), are the key actors that together manage the execution of the project. Through regularly scheduled project meetings, they together can coordinate the project. The Owner’s Representative can advocate the Owner’s interests, to control and minimize time, cost, and disruptions. The contractor’s project manager establishes schedules and acts as liaison to other contractor staff. The Engineer has oversight of the project, and conducts inspections of the work for conformance to specifications.