General Methodology for Structural Repair / Rehabilitation of existing Bridge

Structures
1. Methodology for Chipping of Unsound/Weak Concrete Material:
The damaged portions of slab surface concrete shall be chipped off carefully up to the required
average depth, thus removing all the unsound and weak concrete material.
Wherever required necessary supporting system shall be provided in the adjoining area to withstand
the super imposed load coming on the member.
The chipped off surface shall be cleaned manually where oil free surface exists by wire brushing,
dusting by empty cement bag rags till all the loose particles and foreign materials are removed
wherever considered necessary including working platform wherever required, necessary propping,
suitable protective screens, cleaning and disposing off debris within a lead of 50 meters.
The reinforcement steel found rusted in structural RCC member shall be cleaned of the rust all around
it finish manually without displacing/damaging the reinforcement by chiseling, hammering and / or
with wire brushes, empty cement bag, rags etc, wherever required to the satisfaction of the Engineer-
in –charge and shall be bent to desired position for RCC work including straightening.
2. Methodology for Surface Preparation by Sand Blasting:
Sandblasting machines use compressed air to eject a high-speed stream of sand or some other abrasive
from a nozzle. Finer sand is used to remove laitance, and an angular sand that cuts better than rounded
sand is used to remove a coating from the concrete. The air source of a sandblasting machine must be
equipped with an effective oil trap to avoid contamination of the concrete surface during the
preparation phase. The hardness of the concrete is important in determining whether sandblasting is
the most economical method of cleaning for applications requiring more than light cleaning.
Sandblasting can be used for final surface preparation to remove laitance, dirt, oil and other
contaminants. When the dry method of sandblasting is used, dust and clean-up are problems. The
large volumes of abraded concrete and sand are collected by an industrial vacuum and workers
usually wear air-fed helmets. Because of dust and associated health problems, dry sandblasting is now
used sparingly
3. The exposed reinforced bars shall be examined for any reduction of cross section. If any reduction
noticed same shall be made good by adding suitable dia reinforcement by welding to the existing
bar. All exposed reinforcement shall be treated with anti corrosion paint IP-Net RB of Krishna
Conchem Products Pvt. Ltd or its equivalent shall be used
4. Methodology for Application of Bonding Epoxy to Concrete with Epoxy Adhesive:
The bonding agent shall be an epoxy based resin system. The bonding agent should remain in tacky
state prior to placing of the freshly mixed concrete or mortar.
Application of two part bonding epoxy NITOBOND-EP of Krishna Conchem Products Pvt. Ltd or its
equivalent having two part system with minimum pot life of 3 hrs at 25oC.
In order to obtain good adhesion the old surface shall be dust free, clean and sound. This can be
obtained by grinding, wire brushing, chipping, sand blasting etc. New concrete shall be poured while
the bonding epoxy is in tacky stage.
Inspection of concrete surface prior to adhesive application:
Epoxy components shall be mixed in a clear container free from harmful residue or foreign particles.
Epoxy component shall be thoroughly blended with a mechanical mixer to a uniform and
homogenous mixture.
Epoxy adhesive shall be applied to concrete surfaces by stiff nylon bristle brushes.

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Fresh plastic concrete/mortar shall be applied while adhesive is still tacky. If epoxy adhesive cures to
extent of loosing its tack before plastic concrete/mortar is placed, the same shall be removed or
slightly abraded and second coat of epoxy adhesive applied.
Freshly placed concrete shall be thoroughly consolidated to ensure full bonding of new concrete.
5. Methodology for application of Polymer Modified Mortar for Sealing of exposed
honeycombs to the soffit of slab:
All the exposed honeycombs underneath the RCC slab and wherever cover concrete has reduced or
de-laminated shall be applied with polymer modified mortar EMACO S348C T from BASF
construction chemicals or its equivalent shall be used having compressive strength of 200 kg/cm2 at
3rd day and 350 kg/cm2 at 28th day. The surface shall be saturated prior to application of PMM. It
shall be cured for atleast 3 days.
6. Methodology for Epoxy Injection Grouting:
6.1 Preparation for Injection:
The crack / honeycomb area shall be opened along crack alignment / honeycomb area by making
notches or grooves by means of chisel or mechanical saws. The grooves shall be made dust free by
means of through washing and drying. Alternatively compressed air may be used for the purpose, in
which care shall be taken to see that the compressed air is free from oil and water.
After cracks / honeycomb have been cleaned 12 mm dia nylon injection nipples shall be inserted to 50
to 100 mm deep along the crack / honeycomb area at a suitable spacing in zig-zag configuration in
both directions of slab / surface. Nipples shall be fixed using cement paste / PMM / plugging mortar.
The area between the injection nipples along the crack in honeycomb area shall be sealed with
approved sealing compound putty. If cracks are through the entire thickness of the member, then the
same is sealed on both sides. The pretreatment including fixing of nipples and sealing the remaining
length of the crack with approved sealing compound putty shall be carried out at least 24 hrs prior to
injecting grout.
6.2 Product:
Low viscosity epoxy injection system EPCO-KP-250 + EPO-HP-250 of Krishna Conchem Products
Pvt. Ltd or its equivalent shall be used. The epoxy grout shall be two component system of epoxy
resin having viscosity of 300 to 500 cps with a setting time of 10 hours at ambient temperature. The
specific gravity of epoxy shall not be less than 1.00. The epoxy shall be able to penetrate into the finer
cracks by virtue of its low viscosity. The pressure of injection shall be about 4 kg/cm2 or till nozzle
refuses to take further grout.
It is a two component solvent low viscosity, free flowing, fast curing epoxy resin system designed
specially for pressure injection into concrete for carrying structural repairs. Due to its low viscosity it
can be injected into extremely very fine cracks.
6.3 Grouting:
The approved epoxy grout then shall be injected into the cracks by means of suitable gun or pump at a
pressure of about 4 kg/sq.cm. In case of vertical cracks injection shall be started at the lowest nipples
and continued until the injected grout begins to flow out at the next higher nipples.
The first nipple shall then be closed off and injection continued at the second until the grout flows out
at the third. The process shall be repeated until the whole crack/area has been sealed. As the system is
cured, the nipples shall be cut & removed.
7. Methodology for Application of Bipolar Corrosion Inhibitor:
All the exposed old and new concrete shall be treated with migrating corrosion inhibitor
EPCO-KP-100 of Krishna Conchem Products Pvt. Ltd., or its equivalent shall be used. The

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material shall have bipolar mechanism simultaneously. The pH value of inhibitor shall be
minimum of 9.50. The base for the material shall be water based organic corrosion inhibitor.
It shall have vapour pressure and affinity for embedded metal.
The application shall be on concrete by a spray mechanism. After application and after few
minutes wipe the concrete surface with moist cloth to remove residual material.
8. Methodology for application of Anti-Carbonation coating:
The anticarbonation coating shall be single component solvent based pure aliphatic acrylate
system. The system shall consist of a primer and two top coats. The D.F.T per coat shall be
70-80 microns. The adhesion of material shall be minimum of 3N/mm2. MONOPOL-456 of
Krishna Conchem Products Pvt. Ltd or its equivalent materials shall be used. The coating
shall allow water vapour permeability to allow for substrata to breath.
Necessary surface preparations shall be carried out for the application of anti carbonation
coating, like the surface shall be free from all adhesion inhibiting substances such as oil,
grease releasing agents as well as laitance and dust. The surface shall be cleaned by wire
brushing, mechanical scrapping and any loose material shall be removed by chiseling with
small hammer and washed with clean water. The substrata shall be structurally sound for
effective bonding of coating on to the concrete surface. Anti carbonation coating will
normally have one coat primer and two coats of painting material. This shall be applied after
completion of all physical activities of structural rehabilitation. The coverage and other
aspects shall be as per manufacturer’s specifications. The application of coatings shall be
carried out using airless spray method. Curing of the coating will be as per manufacturer’s
specification.
9. Methodology Cement Grouting
Aluminium nipples of 50mm length shall be inserted into honeycombed concrete by drilling
holes to a depth of 100mm or suitably. Spacing of nipples shall depend on the quality and
quantity of honeycombs, however the spacing shall depend on the expected honeycombs in
the structural member. The size of nipples shall be 10mm dia and hole drilled shall be 12mm
dia. The nipples shall be fixed using binding material.
9.1 Materials:
Cement: The cement used shall be Ordinary Portland Cement, grade 43 / 53, PPC
conforming the relevant BIS code of practice.
Water: Water used for grout shall confirm to the requirement of BIS: 456 –2000
Admixture: Metakaoline at 7.5% by weight of cement and SBR latex polymer at 5% by
weight of cement from Fosroc Chemicals or its equivalent from BASF Construction
Chemicals or its equivalent Krishna Conchem Products Pvt. Ltd., or its equivalent.
9.2 Injection
The grout shall be injected into the honeycombed areas by means of suitable pump at a
pressure of 1 to 4 kg/cm2. In case of vertical cracks injection shall be started at the lowest
nipples and continued until the injected begins to flow out at the next higher nipples. The first
nipple shall then be closed off and injection continued at the second until the grout flows out
of the third. The process shall be repeated until the whole of the honeycombed has been
sealed. Next day of grouting the nipples shall be cut and made good.

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