Concrete Placement and Finishing Defects: Causes, Evaluation, Repair, and Mitigation

Concrete placement and finishing defects raised by a member of the project team may indicate a greater (unobserved) structural concern, a long-term durability issue, or simply an aesthetic problem. Concrete defects can delay the project schedule, require costly investigation fees, and necessitate removal and replacement. This presentation is intended to tackle concrete placement and finishing defects faced by the concrete construction industry. Topics will include: cold joints, delaminations, dusting, honeycombing, form leakage, plastic shrinkage cracking, floor flatness/levelness, in addition to others. This presentation will discuss the causes of these concrete defects, techniques for evaluating various defects, and approaches for mitigating these problems. Attendees will be introduced to various evaluation methods (e.g., impact-echo, ultrasonic pulse velocity, ground penetrating radar, concrete coring, petrographic examination, etc.) and when their use is appropriate. Case studies will be used to illustrate the concepts presented. This presentation will benefit anyone who has sat in a job site trailer to discuss concrete placement and finishing defects.

Presentation Learning Objectives:

1. Identify causes of concrete placement and finishing defects
2. Compare techniques for evaluating concrete placement and finishing defects 
3. Summarize repair methods for concrete placement and finishing defects
4. Describe approaches for mitigating concrete placement and finishing defects