The 3rd ACF International Conference –ACF/VCA 2008

E.05

REPAIR OF WATER LEAKAGE CRACKS IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Sang Kuen Oh- Professor

School. of Architectural Engineering, Seoul National University of Technology, S. Korea

ABSTRACT: This report concluding for drawing out a successful and effective plan for repairing
water-leakage cracks. Generally, cracked concretes have two types of cracks: dry cracks and water-
leakage cracks. Varying in their depth and width, dry cracks undermine the stability and durability of
concrete structures. Meanwhile, water-leakage cracks, which arise from a combination of several
environmental and mechanical elements of the building, not only has the negative effects of dry cracks,
but also cause problems in building operations, even making it impossible for people to sustain their
daily activities within.
Various types of repairing techniques are carried out in order to mend these two different types of
cracks. However, the repairing conditions for water-leakage cracks are more complicated due to the
humid environment where the cracks tend to appear; more complex methods and materials are
therefore required. The reason behind the difficulties in repairing could be attributed to the insufficient
knowledge and understanding on the negative factors. Therefore, in this paper deal with Types of
repairing materials, Procedures followed to select the appropriate repairing materials, Execution of
different types of repairing methods, Performance assessments of applied materials and methods.

KEYWORDS: Repair materials, Repairing methods, Environmental condition, Mechanical

condition

1- INTRODUCTION

This guideline concluding for drawing out a successful and effective plan for repairing water-leakage
cracks. Generally, cracked concretes have two types of cracks: dry cracks and water-leakage cracks. Varying
in their depth and width, dry cracks undermine the stability and durability of concrete structures. Meanwhile,
water-leakage cracks, which arise from a combination of several environmental and mechanical elements of
the building, not only has the negative effects of dry cracks, but also cause problems in building operations,
even making it impossible for people to sustain their daily activities within.
Various types of repairing techniques are carried out in order to mend these two different types of cracks.
However, the repairing conditions for water-leakage cracks are more complicated due to the humid
environment where the cracks tend to appear; more complex methods and materials are therefore required.
Unfortunately, despite the vast number of different materials and methods implemented, it is often difficult
to attain perfect waterproof sealing. This lack of a adequate solution to water-leakage cracks have brought
about unnecessarily high cost of repair in the past and still continues to be a problem.
The reason behind the difficulties in repairing could be attributed to the insufficient knowledge and
understanding on the negative factors (i.e. environmental and mechanical conditions) that cause water-
leakage cracks and on the properties of repairing materials and methods. This necessary as all the
aforementioned problems taken into consideration, it is evident that there is strong need for a standardized

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guideline on how to select appropriate materials and methods in accordance to different types of
environmental and mechanical conditions that could lead to water-leakage cracks.
This guideline is developed for countries that do not have existing general guideline on this subject and to
offer, to local authorities anywhere. And it could be more develop by the authorities in each member country.

(a)The tunnel of subway (b)The aquatic structure

(c)The repair part (d) The underground utility tunnel

Figure 1. All kinds of present condition of water leakage due to crack

Figure 2. Flow chart of how to repair

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2-CONDITIONS AND CAUSES OF WATER-LEAKAGE CRACKS

Unlike dry cracks, when water-leakage cracks are exposed to variable conditions, several environmental
and mechanical influence factors are temperature and humidity in the atmosphere, the water pressure, flow
and chemical reaction in water, the vibration caused by passing vehicles. Such factors are negative effects
not only towards water-leakage cracks themselves, but also towards the efficiency of repairing materials and
methods that may be used on the cracks in order to seal the cracks perfectly
Therefore, since water-leakage cracks are affected constantly by a variety of environmental and mechanical
conditions, repairing materials and proper methods should respond to these particular changes to seal the
cracks perfectly. Understanding of the environmental and mechanical conditions of water-leakage cracks is a
priority for a perfect restoration of water-leakage cracks. When selecting the correct repairing materials and
proper methods, the appropriate response to the environmental and mechanical factors must be considered.
Finally, evaluating the appropriate materials and execution methods’ response to the environmental and
mechanical factors is obligatory. Figure 3 divides the environmental and mechanical factors and shows the
required performances respond to each factors. This also provides the evaluation items for each repairing materials.

2.1. Environmental conditions

The environmental factors that affect the efficiency of repairing materials for water-leakage cracks are changes
in humidity and temperature, the different chemical compositions of water, the fluidity of water etc. These factors
affect the adhesiveness, water tightness, chemical attack resistance of repairing materials. The selection of
appropriate materials for the given environmental conditions is therefore very important.

2.2. Mechanical conditions

The mechanical factors that affect the efficiency of repairing materials are shrinkage and expansion of
concrete by temperature change, unevenness in the settlement of the structure, vibration nearby passing of
vehicles, and underwater pressure etc. These factors affect the adhesiveness, water tightness, responsiveness
to the substrate movement of repair materials. With regards to these factors, the selection of appropriate
materials for the given mechanical conditions is very important as well.

Figure 3. Required performance for repairing of water-leakage cracks

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3- MATERIALS FOR REPAIR

Many types of repairing materials are currently being used, including water based gel acrylic grout,
water based cementitious grout, hydrophilic epoxy resin grout, urethane foam grout, and synthetic
rubberized gel grout etc. Depending on the moisture level of the water-leakage cracks (whether it is
wet or dry), the appropriate selection of repairing materials is very important.

3.1 Water based gel acrylic grout

The water based acrylic gel grout is composed of acrylic acid polymer. Acrylic acid polymer (resin)
and hardener should be in accurate proportions and mixed at work site right before application for
ideal performance as repairing materials. Due to the chemical reaction with water, water based gel
grout as acrylic attains jelly-like viscous property and blocks water penetration temporarily. However,
due to its weakness in stability and its lack adhesiveness on wet substrates, there is a possibility that
injected acrylic grout could be destroyed when the cracks move heavily. Thus, it is advisable to refrain
from using this material for water-leakage cracks with severe water leaking or for expansion joints
with severe movements on structures such as bridges, subways, or railroads. The use of water based
gel grout as Acrylic is recommended for water-leakage cracks or joints with relatively little movement
as shown Figure 4.

Figure 4. Example of water based gel acrylic grout

3.2 Water based cementitious grout

Cementitious materials’ thermal expansion coefficient tends to be very similar to the substrate
concrete’s. They are widely used due to their efficient bond strength to wet substrate concretes.
Polymer-cement slurry, a mixture of super particle cement (maximum grain size : less than 16 ㎛) and
inorganic compound is also often used. Cement, polymer and water should be accurately proportional
and well mixed at work site to obtain a good performance as repairing materials. When polymer-
cement slurry are used, it is possible to inject materials into cracks that are less than 0.05mm in width.
Generally, the part where the injection will be applied to should be in wet condition. If the crack is dry,
cementitious material may shrink before completely sealing the crack, making it difficult to cover with
the rest of crack. Thus, it is advisable to keep the crack in a moist condition. When the structure’s
movement or vibration occur, damage on the injected cementitious material is possible. The use of
cementitious material is recommended for water-leakage cracks or joints with little movement.

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Figure 5. Example of Water based cementitious grout

3.3 Hydrophilic epoxy resin grout

Epoxy always requires thorough mixing with a hardener and a curing compound, like an amine or a
polyamide. Epoxy resin and hardener should be mixed in an accurate proportions at work site right
before application to obtain a good performance as repairing materials. There are two kinds of epoxy
resins: hydrophobic and hydrophilic. Because of their high adhesive strength, hydrophobic epoxies are
used for dry crack repairs for widths greater than 0.05 mm. Problems could also rise due to these
hydrophobic epoxies’ high thermal expansion modulus; the concrete is likely to produce another crack
adjacent to the repaired crack when the substrate movement occurs. Although hydrophobic epoxies
have been widely used for structural bonding and waterproofing repairs, most epoxies that were
previously used to seal water-leakage cracks have not produced successful results. Therefore, epoxies
that are able to maintain a highly flexible and a strongly adhesive properties in water-leakage cracks
was in demand. Now, hydrophilic epoxies that effectively bond to moist substrate, and effectively
withstand substrate movement and constant temperature change are being developed and being tested
in the market. When selecting epoxy resin grout, therefore, the analysis of environmental and
mechanical conditions of the areas where the epoxy resin grout have previously failed is crucial.

Figure 6. Example of Hydrophilic epoxy resin grout

3.4 Urethane foam grout
Urethane foam grouts consist of a polyurethane resin that reacts with water to form an expansive,
closed-cell foam or gel (hydrophilic types). Polyurethane resin and hardener should be accurately
proportional and well mixed at work site to obtain a good performance as repairing materials. The
reaction time to form the foam may be controlled from a few seconds up to several minutes with the
addition of different types of catalysts. Since desired effect of the materials depend heavily on the interval
it takes to form, the importance of the proper time management in mixing work at site is asserted. These
grouts are semi-flexible, thus they may tolerate some changes or changes in crack width. So, Urethane
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foam grouts are mainly used to briefly stop a sudden leakage of water, a constant surveillance of the
leakage site is needed. This cannot maintain a long-term repair effect because of their moisture absorption
property. In this regard, when deciding to select and use urethane foam grout, the analysis of
environmental and mechanical conditions on water-leakage crack and substrate concrete is necessary.

Figure 7. Example of urethane foam grout

3.5 Synthetic rubberized gel grout
Synthetic rubberized gel grout is a mixture of special macromolecule resin, such as synthetic
rubberized gel and asphalt compound, and inorganic component such as bentonite. This grout can be
used directly without mixing it with other components at work site. It bonds well to wet substrates in
water because of its expanding property of bentonite component, and can respond well to the
movements of cracks because of its high flexibility of rubberized gel component. It is also effective in
both winter and summer because of its expanding property with high viscosity.

Figure 8. Example of synthetic rubberized gel grout

4-EXECUTION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF REPAIRING METHODS

In order to select the best method for effectively sealing water-leakage cracks, the appropriate
applicability, cost, duration of use, finishing condition and other effects related with repairing methods
must be considered. All methods used to repair cracks have to provide a protecting effectiveness of
water leakage. Also that effectiveness should be maintained for a longer period of time. The methods
for water-leakage cracks can be categorized as listed below.

4.1 Grouting injection methods

There are three main types in the grouting injection method for water-leakage cracks.
The first method is called intercept injection. From a certain distance away from the crack, a hole is
drilled through the concrete diagonally until it intercepts the crack at its midpoint. An injection nozzle

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is then inserted through the drilled hole. When repair material is transferred through the nozzle, the
material flows through the crack in both negative and positive directions from the midpoint of the
crack until the crack is completely sealed up.
The second method is called negative side injection. The repair material is directly injected via the
mouth of the crack on the negative side, flowing through the crack toward the positive side filling up
the entire inner space.
In the last method called positive side injection, a hole is drilled parallel to the crack at a certain
distance away, creating another passage connecting the negative and positive sides. The repairing
material is then injected into this newly drilled hole, and the material flows from one end to the other.
The material then spills out from the hole, later hardening to become a small barrier which blocks the
mouth of the crack from the positive side, directed intervening the water leakage. In order for this
method to work, there must be a layer of soil beneath the substrate. Figure 3 illustrates the injection
repairing methods used epoxy resin grout, and urethane foam grout and cementitious grout.

(a) intercept injection

(b) Negative side injection

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(c) Positive side injection

Figure 9. Grouting injection methods

4.2 Injection method for reforming of waterproofing layer

This method describes the reinforcement of the existing waterproofing membrane via the use of a
drilled hole for injection. By drilling a hole into the substrate concrete (near the crack) on to the other
side, a small space between the existing membrane and the substrate becomes accessible. Next, by
injecting a sealing material into the drilled hole, the space between the membrane and the substrate is
filled with repairing materials. The injected material will spread to the around the space between the
membrane and the substrate, and make a new waterproofing layer, and prevent further water leakage
and flow. Figure 4 shows the injection method for reforming of waterproofing layer used synthetic
rubberized gel grout.

Figure 10. Injection method for reforming of waterproofing layer

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5-PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR REPAIRING MATERIALS

5.1 Performance requirements for environmental conditions

5.1.1 Water resistance

Repairing material is injected as a liquid/gel type substance so that if it is washed away before
hardening, it will become impossible to secure a proper form and amount into the crack. Then, its effect
could be lost. Furthermore, when injected repairing material is lost due to the water current, it may cause
environmental pollution to the surrounding area, such as in underground water, soil, the basement and the
roof slab with a garden etc. Therefore, repairing materials used for water leakage cracks should contain
the water resistance performance to prevent it from being washed away for a much longer term.

5.1.2 Chemical resistance

Concrete structures are constructed under a various chemical environmental conditions. Concrete
structures are often bordered by water or soil in underground structures, and are located near industrial
areas or seashores, so that chemical corrosions caused by chemical substance(such as acid, alkali, salt
water or calcium hydroxide, carbon dioxide, etc) can occur more frequently.
These chemical corrosion decreases the performance of injected repairing materials. Therefore,
repairing materials should maintain their chemical attack resistance performance, even in the case of
chemical corrosion, and satisfy the need to resist chemical attacks for a longer period of time.

5.1.3 Thermal stability

Repairing materials are made up of highly polymerized or inorganic compounds; thus they undergo
constant shrinkage and expansion depending on the temperature change. Due to these continuous
changes, performance of injected repairing materials could deteriorate. In other words, repairing
materials used to seal water-leakage cracks should maintain their thermal dependence, even in the case
of repeated temperature change, and should remain intact for a longer period of time.

5.1.4 Adhesiveness on the wet substrate

Water-leakage cracks always occur in wet or underwater conditions. In such case, the injected
repairing materials should not only be capable of withstanding strong water current, but also have strong
adhesiveness on wet concrete substrate and other waterproofing layers. This can be done by maintaining
the strong adhesiveness of repairing material in either solid or liquid gel forms, which can block water
leakage under higher stress(water pressure and substrate movement). Therefore, repairing materials
should maintain their adhesiveness performance even in the case of moist or wet environment, and satisfy
the criteria which specify strong adhesiveness on wet substrate for a much long term.

5.2 Performance requirements for mechanical conditions

5.2.1 Permeability
Permeability is the ability of a material to block the penetration of water. The permeability of
repairing material is a very crucial performance factor in environments where the substrate concrete are
vulnerable to moisture-related deterioration. Injected repairing materials should therefore have a
property to bond well, so as not to allow water passage. Therefore, repairing materials should maintain
their permeability performance by withstanding the constant changes in the surrounding water pressure
or water volume, and remain permeable to water for a long period of time.

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5.2.2 Responsiveness to substrate movement

The width of water-leakage cracks shrink and expand continuously along with the change in the
surrounding temperature, the constant vibrations from the motion of vehicles on the railroad or subway
structures and bridges, and the movement affected by the structure’s uneven settlement. These
repeating movement of concrete substrate with water-leakage crack increase the high load on repairing
materials injected into cracks, furthermore, injected repairing materials can even be destroyed. This
causes a reoccurrence of water leakage after repair. Therefore, repairing materials should maintain
their responsiveness performance to substrate or crack movement, and satisfy the criteria where their
responsiveness to the substrate or crack movement last for a longer term.

6-TEST METHOD APPLIED TO SELECT THE APPROPRIATE REPARING MATERIALS

The cracks that occur in various conditions needs a adequate combination of effects from different
repairing materials, which have their respective capabilities (but also limitations when applied on the
crack alone) in order to respond to such requirements. Therefore, well-designed assessments are
required in order to select the most appropriate repairing materials, and ensure the best resulting
performance possible. The objectives and the contents involved in each test methods are listed in this
section. Specific details can be referred to ‘The Test Methods of Repairing Materials for Water
Leakage Crack’.

6.1 Test method for water resistance

This test assesses the water resistance of injected repairing materials against the eroding effect of
water flow on underground structures or on roof slabs, and keeps in check the maintenance of the
material’s performance for a long period of time.
One way to evaluate water resistance is to measure the rate of the weight change of the repair material.
In order to do this, an artificially created water flow is used to exert stress on the material injected into
a crack for given interval of time; a material with a slow weight change rate implies good resistance
and vice versa.

6.2 Test method for chemical resistance

This test assesses the chemical resistance of injected repairing materials against the corroding effects
of chemical compounds in water, and measures how long the material maintains its performance.
One way to evaluate chemical resistance is to measure the rate of the weight change of the repair
material. In order to do this, water containing various chemicals (acid, alkali and sodium chloride, sea
water etc.) is used to exert chemical stress on the material injected into a crack for given interval of
time; a material with a slow weight change rate implies good resistance and vice versa.

6.3 Test method for thermal stability

This test assesses the thermal stability of injected repairing materials and how long it maintains its
degree of performance against temperature changes in surrounding environment.
One way to evaluate thermal stability is to observe the water penetration of the repair material right
after being thermally stressed. In order to do this, the repairing material to be tested first undergoes
several cycles of low and high temperature (i.e. artificial fluctuation in temperature) in a temperature
cycle chamber. Hydraulic pressure is then exerted immediately on the test material for a given interval

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of time; a material which does not allow water penetration after being effected by thermal change
implies good thermal stability and vice versa.

6.4 Test method for adhesiveness on the wet substrate

This test assesses the adhesiveness of injected repairing materials ability to adhere firmly to
substrate concrete, and measures the duration of the material’s adhesive strength.
In order measure the adhesiveness, the repairing material is used like a glue to hold two pieces of
mortar (substituting for concrete substrate) with a standardized surface area and weight. The top half of
the mortar is then fastened or clamped in mid-air, and the time it takes for the bottom half to fall off is
measured. A repairing material which maintains the two mortar pieces together for a long time implies
good adhesiveness and vice versa.

6.5 Test method for permeability

This test assesses the permeability of repairing materials against water pressure in buildings
underground and roof slabs, and measures the duration its performance.
One way to evaluate permeability is to observe the water penetration through the test material, which is
injected into an artificially made space between two pieces of wet substrates. Controlled hydraulic
pressure is then exerted on the material (which was injected into the “crack”); a material which does
not allow leakage under applied water pressure implies low permeability and vice versa.

6.6 Test method for responsiveness to the substrate movement

This test assesses the injected repairing material’s flexibility, or the ability to respond to substrate
movement due to constant thermal shrinkage and expansion, ground vibrations (from nearby passing
vehicles), and by uneven settlement. An ideal repairing material must not only be resistant to changes
and watertight, but also be flexible enough to modify its shape slightly in order to respond to moving
substrates and avoid damage from the force.
One way to evaluate this responsiveness to substrate movement is to see if the water penetrates
through the test material after having forcefully moved the substrates the material is applied on. A
material which does not leak under stress from moving substrates implies good responsiveness to the
substrate movement and vice versa.

7- PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF REPAIRED STRUCTURES

7.1 Inspection of repairing

For the success of repairing water leakage cracks, inspection on the each step of the application’s
preparation, process and completion is mandatory. An expert should be able determine whether the
application is successive or not with a brief look. Generally, it is easy to check the repaired crack to see
if the crack no longer leaks or not. It is important to check whether the repairing materials firmly
adhere to the cracks for a long period of time. However, in terms of durability improvement, it is
normally difficult to evaluate the overall result. Therefore, the records about the used materials, mixing
proportion, application period, and quality control and test methods must be constantly checked. Also,
photograph that shows the overall finished condition should be kept as a comparative reference. In
other cases, also inspection using a water leakage examiner of gas pressure or using a measuring
instrument of rainwater leakage are some alternatives for evaluating the results of a repair.

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7.2 Evaluation of repairing

After finishing the water-leakage crack repair application, the evaluating determining whether its
result is successful or not is a very important step. Generally, the assessment on the repair effects of
water-leakage cracks should be reached to an accurate conclusion. If any defects on the initial planning,
application or the performance are found, and the effects prove out to be insufficient, reapplication
should be carried out. Again, failure of reapplication will not only bring a large economic and
administrative loss, but also damage the repair material company and the engineers’ reputation. In
order to reduce of these kinds of errors from occurring, a systematical evaluation is needed as the
follows: the analysis of the environmental conditions the substrate structure is located in, the nature of
water-leakage crack, the selection of suitable materials and application methods, the application and
quality control(test planning included) scheme, and the maintenance management following the repair
process. Also, various kinds of documents (such as the recording of results after completing the
application, the procedure of selecting repair materials and applications, the list of defect inspection
methods, the reason of defection, the specification for work, test and assessment, and the report of
maintenance management planning etc.) must be kept for long term security management of the
repaired structures.

8- CONCLUSIONS

Understanding on the specific environment condition such as leakage crack is very important, that
are significant step to select proper repair materials for water leakage and correct plan for repairing
technology. Therefore, we need more actual and intensive guideline on repair materials in maintaining
the safety of the concrete structure. In addition, it can be one of the technical solutions on how to select
appropriate materials and suggest test methods. It is also important the other matter such as economical
effect, maintenance, sustainable safety for building structure to promote new repairing materials and
technology.

REFERENCES

1. ACI Committee 224,(1998), "Causes, Evaluation and Repair of Cracks in Concrete Structures", Report of
ACI, 224.1R-93, Chapter 3.
2. Carter, Paul D., Forbes, A.J., (1986), "Comparative Evaluation of the Waterproofing and Durability of
Concrete Sealers", Alberta Transportation and Utilities.
3. BS EN 14068,(2003), "Products and systems for the protection and repair of concrete structures-Test
methods- Determination of water tightness of injected cracks without movement in concrete".
4. BS EN 12617-2,(2004), "Products and systems for the protection and repair of concrete structures-Test
methods -Part 2 : Shrinkage of crack injection products based on polymer binder : volumetric shrinkage".

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