May 2011

Vol. 2

Issue: 05

Contents
From the Presidents Desk News from Centres Selected Seminar Papers ICI Students Chapters Forthcoming Events New Members 1 2 7 20 2 5 26

ICI AWARDS
Nominations are invited for the following ICI Awards for the year 2010-2011
1. Outstanding Concrete Structures. 2. Outstanding Concrete Technologist. 3. Best Paper published in ICI Journal. 4. Best Paper on Construction Techniques. 5. Life Time Achievement (North, East, West and South). 6. Best Centre. 7. Young Scientist. 8. Outstanding Prestressed Concrete Structure in the Country. 9. Best Student Chapter. Last date for receipt of nominations is : 7th July 2011. R.Radhakrishnan Secretary General

From the Presidents Desk

One welcome trend which is clearly discernible during the recent past is the consistent growth in the addition of students chapters. ICI has been adding at least one student chapter every month during the past more than a year. This issue contains re ports on new students chapters, including the one at IIT Madras. Local ICI centres should take a clue from this trend and devote little more time and efforts in bringing students of civil/structural/ environmentalengineering from their region into the ICI fold. ICI members who hold faculty positions should encourage students to open chapters in their respective colleges. I am initiating a proposal to give a further boost to this trend, so that the student fraternity feels that they are real beneficiaries. The proposal will be discussed during the next Governing Council meeting. Incidentally, I feel that we need to take serious cognizance of the recent events in Japan. All of us were shocked and greatly perturbed to witness the catastro phe created by the earthquake and the tsunami that had struck Japan on March 11, 2011. The effects of the sad event are still unfolding. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), this earthquake was the largest ever recorded in Japan and is the worlds fifth largest earthquake to strike since 1900. Japan is believed to be well-equipped and prepared to resist earthquakes of high intensity; yet the devastations were horrendous. The tragic events in Japan raise many questions amongst Indians, especially amongst the engineering fraternity. Is India prepared to withstand high-intensity earthquakes and tsunamis? Prime Minister Dr. Manamohan Singh was quick to order a technical review of all critical installations. The safety of critical structures including nuclear installations is certainly important. However, equally pertinent question is about the safety of all structures in densely populated urban or rural areas. In recent years reasonably highintensity earthquakes have struck India in quick succession: Khilari (Latur) in 1993, Jabalpur in1997, Chamoli in 1999, Bhuj in 2001, Andaman in 2002, Sumatra in 2004, Kashmir in 2005 and Sikkim in 2006. It is estimated that nearly 70% of the Indian land mass is prone to medium-to-high intensity earthquakes. Despite certain laudable efforts of many organizations and individuals, the awareness about earthquake-resistant design and construction is still lacking in India. Are we are in a position to state confidently that the country is well prepared to withstand large earthquakes? Certainly, we have a long way to go in achieving tangible results in earthquakepreparedness. Any earthquake is a sad reminder to us about our shortcomings. In fact, we should consider it as a wake-up call. In this issue, we are including a write-up by Prof C V R Murty on the theme Preparing for Earthquakes: Where India Stands? Considering the sensitivity of the topic, we would welcome worthwhile contributions on this theme and request readers to respond at an early date. The contributions can also cover the role that ICI can play in creating awareness and render help in building earthquakeresistant structures in India. Vijay Kulkarni President

ICI Update May 2011

01

News from Centres

ICI-Kar. Bengaluru Centre
16th ICI (KBC) Civil aid (Torsteel) Endowment Lecture was organized on 28th April 2011. Invited speaker, Mr. Jose Kurian Chief Engineer, Delhi Tourism & Transport Development Corporation, New Delhi in his Endowment Lecture spoke on Construction of Underpasses under Restricted Boundary Conditions. The lecture brought out several aspects of construction project in its entirety during planning, analysis, design and construction Stages. Four different construction projects, Punjabi Bagh Grade Separator, Madhuban Chowk Underpass, Prem Bari Underpass, Moolchand Underpass within New Delhi limits were discussed. Proximity to flowing canal, railway line, Metro line, and flyovers compounded by high water table re sulting in enormous uplift posing severe constraints in design, construction and choice of material were presented. Lecture was highly educative and informative. Earlier Mr. Raj Pillai, Chairman, ICI -KBC welcomed the gathering and briefed about the ICI-Torsteel Endowment Lecture. Dr. R. Nagendra, Technical Director Civil-Aid, co-ordinated the programme. Dr. M. N. Hegde, Secretary, ICI - KBC proposed vote of thanks.
Mr. Jose Kurian delivering the Endowment Lecture Dr. C. S. Viswanatha Lighting the Lamp during Inauguration

Mr. Jose Kurian, C.E. DTTDC, Lighting the Lamp Inauguration

Section of the Audience

ICI Update May 2011

02

News from Centres

ICI-Tamil Nadu Chennai Centre
ICI Tamil Nadu Chennai Centre organized a Technical Lecture on Monday the 19th April 2011 at ICSR Hall, IIT Madras. Dr. Manu Santhanam, Associate Professor, IIT Madras spoke on Water Proofing So lutions for Concrete Structures During his speech, he stressed upon the need to have good quality of cover zone concrete as a stringent security measure to tighten the entry of water into the structure. He classified the water proofing solutions as positive side/negative side, below/above the ground/roof. He also differentiated between water tight (read: damp proof) and water proof. He also dwelled upon the various techniques of water proofing solutions prevalent in the industry such as water proofing compounds, damp proofing admixtures, permeability resisting admixtures, crystalline water proofers, chemical admixtures, grout materials, surface treatment techniques such as coatings, sealants, penetrants (impregnates). He also cautioned the listeners that the applications of the various water proofing solutions deserve more merit else the There was a greater interaction among the participants and the speakers. Initially, Mr. K. Jayasankar Chairman of ICI TNCC welcomed the gathering and Mr. K. G. K. Moorthy, Secretary & Treasurer of ICI TNCC gave the vote of thanks This was followed by the sponsors presentation. Mr. Atul V. Vaidya, Head Business Development, Construction Chemicals Division of M/s Pidilite Industries Limited gave an elaborate presentation on their offerings for the various water proofing treatments. Mr. Sanjiv Dutta, Chief Industries & Infrastructures was also present during the occasion. He concluded his speech by saying that though plenty of systems are available for effective water proofing treatments, nothing can substitute the good construction and concreting practices. long term performance of the water proofing system becomes questionable.

Er. K. Jayasankar, Chairman, ICI TNCC, Welcoming the participants

Dr. Manu Santhanam, Associate Professor, IIT Madras, Chennai delivering the Technical Lecture

ICI Update May 2011

03

News from Centres

Mr.Atul Vaidya, Head Business Development, Construction Chemicals Division, M/s. Pidilite Industries Limited, Mumbai giving product presentation

Er.BRK Nair, GM (Projects), Gammon India Limited giving memento to Dr .Manu Santhanam, Associate Professor, IIT Madras, Chennai

Section of Audience

ICI Ghaziabad Centre

Two days National Conference on Repair and Re habilitation of Concrete Structures was organized at NTPC Power Management Institute, Sector 16A, Noida during May 6-7, 2011 by Indian Concrete Institute, Western UP Centre Ghaziabad in association with Indian Association of Structural Engineers and Association of Structural Rehabilitation. Mr. CS Prasad, Director General, Central Public Works Department, New Delhi was the Chief Guest of the Inaugural function. A revised reprint of CPWD handbook on Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures was also released by him during the Conference.
ICI Update May 2011 04

This Conference was attended by more than 200 delegates/ authors/ manufacturers / exhibitors etc. from various corners of the country. During the Conference, around seventy research papers on different themes of the Conference such as Condition assessment and Distress-diagnostic techniques; Causes of distress; Repair and rehabilitation techniques; Materials for repair and rehabilitation; Durability, serviceability and economy; New Techniques and Materials for Repair/ Rehabilitation and their life cycle evaluation; Long-term health monitoring of structures; and Case studies were presented. Padmashree Dr AS Arya; Prof DK Paul, IIT Roorkee; Prof K Ganesh Babu, IIT Chennai; Dr GM Sabnis, USA; Dr SK

News from Centres

Manjrekar, Mumbai; Dr. DG Kadkade, Noida; Prof AK Tiwari, Mumbai and other eminent experts pre sented their papers and shared their views. During the two day Conference, causes of damages and distresses in concrete structures, condition surveys, repair methods, repair materials, seismic retrofitting of bridges and roads, fire damaged structures, and health monitoring, along with case studies were discussed in detail. Stress was given to proper diagnosis of the structure to find out the root cause(s) of the distress before carrying out repair and rehabilitation work. Importance of selection of proper repair material, repair method and availability of skilled manpower was emphasized. It was suggested that ITI should train masons, carpenters, barbenders etc. for this specialized field of Repair and Dr.Rajeev Goel Honorary Secretary, ICI-Ghaziabad Centre Mr.AK Sharma, Chief Engineer, CDO, CPWD, New Delhi and Dr.Rajeev Goel, Scientist, CRRI, New Delhi were the Convener and Organising Secretary of the Conference respectively. This is the first time such a National Conference on this specialized topic of Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures was organised in this region. rehabilitation. It was felt that engineers should be taught this subject in undergraduate degree course. It was decided to formulate the recommendations of the Conference to be sent to Govt. and other stake holders for implementation.

Photo Gallery

Chief Guest Mr. C. S. Prasad, Director General, CPWD, New Delhi lighting the lamp

Prof. A. K. Tiwari lighting the lamp. Mr. A. K. Sharma, Dr. Rajeev Goel, Mr. P . C. Sharma, Mr. S. Ghosh and the Chief Guest are watching

ICI Update May 2011

05

News from Centres

Dignitaries on the dias

Mr. A. K. Sharma, Chief Engineer, CDO, CPWD, welcoming Mr. S. Ghosh

Dr. Rajeev Goel welcoming the Guest

Padmashree Dr. A. S Arya delivering his lecture

Er. Vinay Gupta addressing the gathering ICI Update May 2011 06

Audience

Selected Seminar Papers

Condition Assessment And Distress-Diagnostic Techniques
National Conference on Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures Organised by Indian Concrete Institute, Western UP Ghaziabad Centre, during May 6,7, 2011 at NOIDA, INDIA
DicoTech LLC, Concrete Repairs and Engineering, UAE Email: nsmoorthy@gmail.com

N S Moorthy

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the critical requirement of the correct condition assessment of concrete structures and an open minded approach to assess the cause of structural distresses and related symptoms. What is visible to one is only the symptom. This will enable identification of the problem in the first place. This in turn will lead to the correct solution to the distress of the structure. The diagnosis has to be based on what is visible and duly correlated to the test reports and what one perceives. There are many possible causes that can cause a particular symptom and one has to be methodical and logical in ones approach to narrow down the possibilities to arrive at the right cause. This paper also shows some of the interesting assessments that the author has made which do not fall under the usual ones. Condition Assessment What is condition assessment? It is systematic and logical examination of a structure to identify the cause of the distress. The examination would cover visual inspection, checking of documents; such as drawings, construction records, previous investigation reports (if any), determination of the time of appearance of the defect and analyzing the test re ports. Many times one would come across that many of these may not be available! But still one has to find ways and means of overcoming this. Nature Of Distresses Various kinds of distresses that we come across normally largely cover cracks (Fig.1) And the cracks could be due to many reasons. Shrinkage cracks, plastic shrinkage cracks, plastic settlement cracks, early heat of hydration cracks, long term thermal shrinkage cracks, excess stresses in flexure, tensile,
ICI Update May 2011 07

shear, punching etc. are the nature of cracks to name a few. It could also be due to corrosion of reinforce ment or unequal foundation settlement. Besides cracks, there are other symptoms of leakages, seepages, discolouration and pigmentation of concrete. i.e. stains on concrete could also lead to important conclusions.

Fig.1 Cracks

Cracks The first inspection to be carried out is the visual inspection, which is the case for all the distresses explained. Visual inspection During visual inspection, the pattern of the crack and the width of the cracks are to be documented on floor plans of structure. This is called the crack mapping. The crack mapping could be further enlarged for better understanding for critical areas by marking the grid both on the paper and on the cracked structure and transfer the positions of the cracks on to the paper. The width of the cracks is to be measured using a crack width measuring gauge. If both sides of the structure are accessible, it can

Selected Seminar Papers

be checked whether the cracks are through and through. If it is not accessible, then ultrasonic tests are conducted to determine the depth of the cracks. GPR (Ground Penetration Radar) could also be used for determining the depth of the cracks. It is also important to decide whether the cracks are active or dormant. A glass strip fixed across the crack (Fig. 2) shall determine the status. If the glass is bro ken, then the crack is active, if not it is dormant. 5. If it is structural crack due to excessive stresses then structural strengthening could have a number of options including using carbon fibres.

Fig.3 Repaired Surface

6. The treatment for the cracks due to the corrosion of reinforcement is dealt elsewhere in this paper. But never an epoxy injection to such cracks. These need a special treatment.
Fig.2 Instrument to measure the movement of crack

Leakage and Seepage The second most common one is the leak (Fig.4). Mainly in the roofs and many other water retaining structures such as tanks, swimming pools, podiums, dams etc.

Cracks Remedies in brief Let us look at the remedial measures. 1. If the cracks are at regular intervals, sometimes even through and through, such as in a retaining wall inject the cracks using epoxy resin and pro vide control joints. 2. If the cracks are of irregular pattern such as shown in Fig.1, it is most probably plastic shrinkage. A simpler surface repair such as grouting will do (Fig.3). 3. If the cracks are wider at the top and extends only up to the reinforcements, and mainly along the reinforcement then it could be due to plastic settlement. Again grouting will do the job. 4. If it is early heat of hydration and long term thermal cracks, the pattern would be the same as that of item 1 and the treatment will be the same as well, but with one important addition which is introduction of control joints.

Fig.4 Leakage of Water

Make sure that the ponded water, if any, is because of the leaks. Sometimes this could be the water due to washing of the floor! Check whether it is coming through the cracks in a clean line or else it is a damp patch. Many a times,

ICI Update May 2011

08

Selected Seminar Papers

it could be the construction/cold joint, which is the weakest portion for such kind of leaks. Honeycombs could be the reason for the damp patches. Check if there are any expansion joints that could be leaking. The formation of the salt crystals due to honeycombing would give an indication of the duration of the problem. Always touch to check whether the seemingly obvious leaking points are still leaking. At times it would have healed by itself. Sometimes, it could be necessary to test the leaking water to find out the source of leakage. It could be a drinking water line or a sewage line that has burst or could be the ground water. Check the quality of the concrete by visual and hammer sound testing. If the structure is of poor quality and honeycombed, the possibility of the leaks to spring elsewhere, once the existing ones are closed, is very high. Leakage Remedies in brief 1. If it is a crack, normally pressure injection using Polyurethane or Acrylic resins would solve the prob lem. When a construction joint is treated, make sure that the entire lengths of the joint are treated even if the water is coming selectively in portions. 2. If it is a damp patch and the concrete is generally good, then the choice could be between pressure injection or negative waterproofing using crystalline technologies. 3. If the concrete is porous and not of a good quality and the possibility of water to leak through else where, then go in for crystalline treatment without resorting to other polyurethane or other resins (fig 5). Once the concrete is contaminated with Polyure thane or other resins, it would be difficult to go in for crystallization treatment to resolve the problem. 4. Treatment to an expansion joint is done by sealing the joint with an acrylic or polyurethane resin (injecICI Update May 2011 09 Fig.6 Strains on surface Fig.5 Crystalline will not work if contaminated with Polyurethane

tion yes, but not necessarily a high pressure injection) to a depth of about 10 to 15 cm and the top of the joint is resealed by using hypalon tape.

Stains, Corrosion Cracks and Spalling of Concrete Another common problem noticed is corrosion stains on the concrete (Fig 6). The stains are the alarm bells to indicate that reinforcement has started corroding. The question would remain as to at what stage of corrosion, it is. Look for the size of the patch. Look for any steel or other metal fixtures nearby which could have caused the stain and not necessarily the reinforcement. Look for any slight bulge around the satin, which could have been caused by the expansion of the rust in the reinforcement. This will show whether it is nearer to spall the concrete.

Selected Seminar Papers

Hammer sounding test will show the delaminated (but not spalled) areas, which is clear indication of corrosion of reinforcement. Measuring the extent of corrosion and its plotting on floor plans is an important task to be done during condition assessment. Half-cell potential test is the most common one which indicates the extent and the probability of corrosion. Spalls Then come the spalls (Fig.7). It is the splitting of concrete due the increase in volume of the reinforcing steel because of an advanced stage of corrosion. The corroded reinforcement gets exposed. Remedies in brief 0 Identify the areas of corrosion stained delamina ed and spalled concrete. Chip off the loose and de teriorated concrete. The chipping shall continue to 25mm behind the reinforcement and 50mm beyond the sign of corrosion. Care shall be taken to cut the edges of repair by at least 5mm to avoid feather edging when the re-profilation is done. 0Grit blast the corroded reinforcement to near white metal condition. 0Apply neat polymer modified cement slurry over the reinforcement to protect from the onslaught of elements. 0Make sure sacrificial anodes are fixed on the re inforcement such as Galvashield, to avoid incipient anodic effect. 0Soak the concrete surface to a fully saturated but no standing water condition. 0Carryout the repair and make up the area with micro concreting or shotcreting for the reprofilation. The curing is a must even it is for a limited number of days. CASE STUDY 1: ECCENTRIC LOADING ON THE CORBELS
Fig.7 Spall of Concrete

This was a precast framed structure for a shopping mall in the Middle Eat. The precast elements of columns and beams with facias were designed, pro duced and erected by an internationally renowned firm. The columns were erected and the beams were placed in position on the corbels. The problem started when the structure was loaded with the faade panels. Almost all the corbels cracked (Fig.8) and the construction was stopped. The visual inspection showed that the cracks have

Visual inspection will show the extent of corrosion spalling. In some cases one can find only the traces of reinforcement as the reinforcement is lost due to corrosion. Cores are taken to determine the actual compressive strength of the concrete and for assessment depth of carbonation i.e. the depth of chemically deteriorated concrete). The powder samples of concrete are taken at various depths by drilling to determine the chloride and Sulphate profiles. Again this will be necessary to de termine the repair strategy.

opened at the top and narrowed as it went further down. So it is a crack caused due to flexure on the corbel. The load transmission was by a kind of point load through the shims kept in position to adjust the levels during erection. The point of transmission of

ICI Update May 2011

10

Selected Seminar Papers

load appeared to be more towards the edge of the corbel. So, this was an error of erection. But that was not the only error that happened. When the precast elements were produced in the factory, a steel plate was embedded in the corbel to indicate the erection crew, the locations of the leveling shim for the beam. The placement of the beams was wrong. So the pro duction could be wrong. But not really. The production follows a shop drawing which indicates clearly where the embed had to be placed. The original mistake has happened with the draftsman who had put in a wrong dimension. Remedy The owner wanted the structure to be rebuilt by the contracting company as he did not want to take any chances with the safety of the public who would be using the shopping mall. The contractor was reluctant to go in for reconstruction. So a solution had to be found out. The beams were slightly jacked up to relieve the corbels from the loads. The existing cracks have been sealed by pressure injection. The joint between the corbels and the beams were sealed. An epoxy resin with 100% solids was injected at low pressures to create a solid and uniform bed to distribute the load over a large area. Once the epoxy resin was cured, the beams after its structural retrofitting and shifting the loading point to safer turfs, were allowed to rest. The structure is still standing after 20 years of this operation. CASE STUDY 2: CRACKS IN THE PEDESTALS OF FLUE TUBE It is a case of a power generating station. The turbines were seated on heavy foundation pedestals. The flue tube which was about a meter dia was also resting on two pedestal foundations. The power station was stopped after 100hors of commissioning due to cracks developed on the flue tube pedestals and also the grout bedding under the foundation plate had turned black. Despite re-doing the grouting and injecting the crack, the problems again resurfaced after running the turbines for another 100 hours or so. That was when the problem was referred. The second problem of grout bleeding under foundation plate was easier to identify. An epoxy grout had been used under the base plates. But the epoxy grout had a limitation of higher temperatures more than 70c. The flue gas temperatures which can reach several multiples of this have obviously burnt the epoxy grout. It was suggested that a cementitious grout of high compressive strength shall be used instead of an epoxy grout. But the cracks on the pedestals were a bit challenging. The cracks have started at the anchor bolt points and wider at the top and narrower as it went down. So it was the lateral pressure exerted on the anchor bolts that could have been the reason. This pressure could come only from the movement of the flue tube. But it is designed for movement. There are two base plates one on top of each other. The top plate is rigidly fixed to the flue tube while the bottom one is fixed to the pedestal. The interface between the plates is to be greased to facilitate the movement. It was out in the site that it was not so and grease port was even blocked. Hence, it was advised that the ports are greased periodically and the repairs for the cracks were carried out.

Fig.8 Repair of cracked corbels ICI Update May 2011 11

Fig.9 Schematic layout

Selected Seminar Papers

CASE STUDY 3: LEAKAGE IN BOMB SHELTER Bomb shelters are structures where the fighter planes are parked for protection against the debris due to bombs and its explosion. The structure is parabolic with 50cm of sand encased by concrete on both sides. The thickness of the concrete casing was 1m external and 50cm internal (Fig.10) There was water leaking through the expansion joints like coming out of a tap. So the first checking to be done was all the plumbing lines. But the lines showed no drop in pressure which showed that the plumbing was not the reason. The roof had an expansion joint which was sealed by a polysulphide mastic sealant. The joint width was about 10cm (!) as against the 20mm designed (Fig.11). The polysulphide sealant had given way and in many places come off the sides of the concrete. Whenever there had been rain in that area, the rain water has gone in and collected in the voids of the sand cushion in-between the concrete casings. Even after 3 months after the rain has stopped, the collected water was coming out of the expansion joints by the sides. The collected water around the bunker has caused heightened ambient relative humidity. This in turn and in course of time started the corrosion of the reinforcement. The concrete started splitting and the bomb shelter faced the bleak prospect of falling apart without bombs (Fig.12).
Fig.12 Schematic View of damaged concrete Fig.11 Schematic View of failed expansion joint

The only remedy was sealing of the expansion joints on the top, but this time using a hypalon tape system which is suitable for higher joint widths. The expansion joints at the sides were injected with polyure thane resin to stop the water and the joints sealed with hypalon tape system. CASE STUDY 4: LEAKAGE THROUGH JOINTS This was a discharge channel in the process area in a petrochemical plant. The discharge was a combination of EDC (Ethelene di Chloride) and Hydrochlo ric acid. The discharge had started leaking through the damaged joint sealants (Fig.13) and into the soil. There was a pump and compressor area nearby. The EDC which has gone into the soil had eaten away the construction fillings under the pump foundations and the area started to settle down. The situation was alarming and it might cause the shutdown of the plant. The existing sealant was good enough to resist the combination of this chemical. But it was not elastic enough to resist the movements of the channel. The expansion joints have given way and hence the leakage. The requirement of the client was a sealant that shall resist 100% concentrated EDC and a 15% concentration of HCL both combined at a tem-

Fig.10 Schematic View of Bomb Shelter

ICI Update May 2011

12

Selected Seminar Papers

perature of 100oC. The material suitable to resist EDC, would not resist HCL and vice versa. Even with a material able to resist both then, the temperature was a problem. If all these conditions were satisfied then it was not flexible enough which could be laid in the channel to remain in good shape. The finding and the subsequent thought pro cess made the team to invent a joint sealant using non-elastomeric HDPE to take the expansion and contraction and also to not to give way.

Fig.13 Schematic View of Channel and failed expansion joints

CASE STUDY 5: CRACKS IN CAR PARK The car park was of 4 levels and the main contractor was in the process of handing over. But was not able to, because there were cracks developed in the ramps (Fig.14). When checked, something peculiar was noticed. The cracks were in the ramps in a kind of regular intervals. But the ramps in the opposite side of the car park floor did not have any crack! All these were done by the same company and at the same time.

side there were high rise buildings. The Sun was shining on the car park on the mosque side and was shaded constantly on the other side. The result: the ramp on the mosque side was subjected to heightened temperature variations, whereas the other side was relatively stable. Having solved the puzzle, the remedy given was to inject the cracks with rigid epoxy resins but cutting out control joints to take care of the movements. CONCLUSIONS An assessor would find that many times the cause of distress could be found by methodical and logical derivations. But some times what one sees and assumes is not what it is. That was why an emphasis has been made to keep an open mind when one goes for a condition survey. It is always good to remember not only to look at the structure but look its surroundings. One has to look for the basic reasons that might have caused the distress. Such as when a roof is leaking, just unblock the drains. This will save the problem of roof leakage and save lot of money to the owner.

Fig.14 Schematic view of Cracked Locations

But why on one and why not on the other? One side of the car park had a mosque, which was of low height and plenty of space around. But on the other

ICI Update May 2011

13

Selected Seminar Papers

Diagnosis of Fire Damaged Industrial Structure
National Conference on Repair and Rehabilitation of Concrete Structures Organised by Indian Concrete Institute, Western UP Ghaziabad Centre, during May 6,7, 2011 at NOIDA, INDIA
Vice President ( North) Indian Concrete Institute Email: ashoktiwari@yahoo.com

Ashok Kumar Tiwari

ABSTRACT In the modern era, fire is one of the unpredictable, but common causes of accidental damage of industrial structures. Reinforced concrete Structures though less susceptible to structural damage to an extent of Steel Structures are also damaged and may require large repairs depending upon the duration of fire and temperatures attained during the same. The investigation to assess the damage to concrete and steel members is tedious and requires additional help of concrete petrographers. A combination of non-destructive test tools along with chemical and micro structural investigation is required to assess the damage to structural elements before preparing the repairrehabilitation programme for the structure. The papers details the methodology adopted for investigation, assessment of structural health and reliability of various test for investigation of a fire damaged structure. Keywords: fire, temperature, petrographers, microstructural INTRODUCTION When reinforced concrete is subjected to high temperature as in fire, there is deterioration in its prop erties. Of particular importance are losses in compressive strength, cracking and spalling of concrete, destruction of the bond between the cement paste and the aggregates and the gradual deterioration of the hardened cement paste. Assessment of fire-damaged concrete usually starts with visual observation of color change, cracking and spalling of the surface. Concrete color provides a broad, general guide of temperatures, whether the color represents the original surface or one resultICI Update May 2011 14

ing from spalling. Crazing, cracking popouts caused by quartz or chert aggregate particles, spalling and dehydration (crumbling and powdering of paste) are general indications of temperatures to which concrete has been exposed as shown in Fig.1. On heating above 300 C the color of concrete can change from normal to pink (300600 C) to whitish gray (600900 C) and buff (9001000 C). The pink discoloration re sults from the presence of iron compound in the fine or coarse aggregates [1, 2 and 3]. The first effects of a slow temperature rise in concrete will occur between 100 and 200 C when evapo ration of the free moisture, contained in the concrete mass, occurs. Instant exposure can result in spalling through generation of high internal steam pressures. As the temperature approaches 250 C dehydration or loss of the non-evaporable water or water of hydration, begins to take place. The first sizable degradation in compressive strength is usually expe rienced between 200 and 250 C. At 300 C strength reduction would be in the range of 1540%. At 550 C reduction in compressive strength would typically range from 55% to 70% of its original value [3, 4 and 5].

Fig.1 Visual evidence of temperature to which concrete has been heated

Selected Seminar Papers

Temperatures in the 550 C range are critical because calcium hydroxide dehydration takes place. Calcium hydroxide is a hydration product of most Portland cement, the amount being dependent upon the particular cement being used. Aggregates also begin to deteriorate at about 550 C. For example quartz expands at a higher rate around 300 C [6 and 7]. Two main types of spalling occur during fire. Explo sive spalling and sloughing off of concrete surface layers. Explosive spalling looks like a series of pop outs and usually occurs within the first 30 min of fire-exposure. Sloughing off is a gradual non-violent separation of the concrete that occurs primarily at the edges of columns and beams. When concrete spalls, deeper layers of concrete are exposed to the maximum fire-temperature, speeding the transmission of heat to the reinforcement. As the temperature within a member rises, steel reinforcement expands more than concrete. This can lead to further spalling and cracking around the steel. Such cracks often de velop where incipient cracks (due to drying shrinkage, flexural loading or other factors) were present. Also, differing thermal expansion between aggre gates and cement paste can create surface crazing, which can lead to deeper cracking [4 and 7]. INDUSTRIAL BUILDING-CASE STUDY The building constructed is a composite structure consisting of RCC frame, a steel column and some external load bearing walls housing R & D centre and office space. It is reported that the building was earlier used as industrial building and only few years ago, it was converted to office cum R & D building. The structural layout of the building is bit complex and seems a number of extensions to building were affected since its inception. The external columns are spaced at 3.3 m span and longest beam spans to 8.5 m. There are four slabs in office area and two in R & D area. The structure was constructed in 1965 and none of the structural drawings are available. 1. The concrete elements viz., columns, beams and slabs are severely affected by fire on some of the floors. negligible excepting discolorations of surfaces due to smoke. were severely damaged due to fire showing spalling, cracking at the surface of elements. Also, concrete core samples, concrete chunks and reinforcement bars were collected from different lo cations and were analyzed for the following at labo ratories; Compressive strength tests Chemical properties like pH, Chlorides and Sul phate Differential thermal analysis X-ray diffraction Yield strength, weight loss and elongation of rebars Investigation For Fire Damage A detailed visual inspection of the building and the following Non-destructive tests (NDT) at select locations were carried out to assess the extent of fire damage on building RCC structure. The results of NDT are provided in the form of tables. Schmidt Hammer test Ultra-sonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) It is learnt that the structure caught fire after office hours at about 7.30 PM on Friday, March 22, 2002. The fire was brought under control by around 2.30 AM in night.

Visual Inspection The building was visually inspected and a structural layout of building was prepared, as shown in Fig.2. The following are the main observations of the Visual Inspection Survey:

2. The damage due to fire on ground floor is almost

3. Most of the structural elements, in office area

ICI Update May 2011

15

Selected Seminar Papers

4. The damage due to fire on IV floor seems to be ngligible except discolorations of surfaces due to smoke. toms of first, second and third floor due to fire was observed in the form of cracking, spalling, and colour of concrete turning to whi ish brown. floors were measured to find the effect of fire on steel reinforcements. The measured defle tions are given in Table 1. 6. Deflection of longest span beams at all three

5. Severe damage of many columns and slab bo

Fig.2 TGA scan for First floor Column A5, depth 100 mm

Non-destructive test results Impact Hammer Test The Schmidt hammer test was done at select locations of the building and results were found to be highly variable due to surface condition. The test was discarded for the present evaluation, as rebound hammer tends to give higher values for carbonated surfaces and variations are high.

Ultra-sonic Pulse Velocity Test The ultra-sonic pulse velocity measurements were taken at select locations of the building to see the soundness of concrete on unaffected elements /portions and also on fire affected elements. The results are provided in Table 2. The criteria for qualitative assessment of the concrete quality is based on ARE code. The results reveal that the ultra-sonic pulse velocity more than 3.5 km/sec taken at undamaged areas indicates good quality of concrete. The very poor velocities or no sound wave transmission at fire damaged locations could be due to cracks and/or significant damage of concrete.

ICI Update May 2011

16

Selected Seminar Papers

Analysis of concrete Chemical analysis The chemical analysis of the concrete samples, for Chloride content, Sulphate content and pH of concrete, prepared from the concrete cores collected from select locations of the structure was carried out. The identification of sample taken for chemical analysis and the results are provided in Table 5. Chloride content in all samples is lower than the limiting value of 0.4%. Sulphate content of all samples is Core Test The concrete cores were extracted from select locations of the building from damaged and undamaged concrete elements. Please note that cores were bro ken during extraction up to 100 mm from surface in the fire damaged concrete elements. It clearly shows that severe damage due to fire has occurred. The cores collected from undamaged concrete elements were tested at the RCD laboratory in Thane. The re sults of core test are tabulated in Table 3. The pH value is below 10.5 in all cases of samples tested indicating that the alkalinity of the concrete has gone down in concrete. The pH values less than 10 shows high degree of loss in Ca(OH)2 due to fire even up to a depth of 100 mm from the surface of concrete. also less than the limiting value of 3%.

Differential The results reveal that the concrete strengths obtained from core testing are satisfactory for M15 grade (1:2:4) concrete used in the construction. Test on Rebar samples The Reinforcement bars were collected from select fire damaged RCC members of the building and were tested for strength, weight loss and elongation. The results are tabulated in Table 4. The results with respect to IS code are unsatisfactory.

Thermal

Analysis

(DTA)

&

Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA) DTA and TGA techniques are employed for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of the compounds present in the concrete samples. The technique involves heating up of the sample under consideration and thermal behaviour is observed which is related to the identification of compounds actually present and comparing with similar sample which is not subjected to fire. The Differential thermogram of concrete sample exhibits endothermic peaks in different temperature ranges and these ranges are generally attributed to certain parameters as given in Table 6 below:

ICI Update May 2011

17

Selected Seminar Papers

Table 7. The results are supportive to DTA. A few scans are shown in Fig.4 to Fig.7.

Selected samples taken from cores and concrete chunks have been subjected to DTA/TGA to study the thermal behaviour of concrete. A few typical scan of DTA and TGA are given in Fig.2 and Fig.3. The results reveal that many samples taken at varying depths up to about 100 mm from surface show low or zero weight loss. It can be said that these samples taken from the severely damaged members are already exposed to temperature more than about 5000C and concrete has lost most of its strength. In addition the passivity of concrete to rebars against corrosion is almost completely lost in the absence of Ca(OH)2.
Fig.4 XRD scan sample from Second floor Column E5, depth 100 mm

Fig.3 TGA scan for Second floor Column E5, depth 100 mm

X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) In the XRD technique, the characteristic diffraction lines of each micro-crystalline cementitious phases and their hydration / degradation products are compared with the standard mineral phase samples and the degree of variation in terms of intensity, shape and position of these lines is considered for identification /evaluation purpose. Selected samples prepared from cores and concrete chunks have been subjected to XRD analysis. The presence of Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) found from XRD analysis in the form of counts is given in

Fig.5 XRD scan of sample from first floor column G2

Fig.6 XRD scan of sample from first floor beam 5-5

ICI Update May 2011

18

Selected Seminar Papers

group at the company along with manag ment of Excel Industries, Mumbai. REFERENCES 1. B. Erlin et al., Evaluating fire damage to concrete CONCLUSIONS The following observations are made in the evaluation of the building: 1. Building is about forty years old and reinforc ments are heavily corroded, lost cross-sections and fails in ultimate tensile strength specific tions. All the reinforced bars tested are found to be unsatisfactory. cover to rebars, reaching the core of most of the columns. crete will no longer be able to protect rebars from corrosion. unsatisfactory even though some cores show sat- isfactory strength levels. on end steel column, which must have lost its ten sile strength heavily. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the investigation, it is recommended here that all floors of building, except ground floor shall be dismantled. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The reported case study has been a consultancy project by the author in capacity as Head of Concrete Technology Group at ACC Limited. The acknowledgement is due to the management and working structures. Concrete Construction 2 (1972), pp. 7682. after fire. The Architects J 1 (1971), pp. 9399. sessment of fire damaged concrete. In: Jany L, et al., editor. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Cement Microscopy. 1999. p. 36572. close. Concrete Repair Digest 1 (1992), pp. 241248. damaged concrete structuresfire safety of concrete structures. American Concrete Institute SP-80, 1983. study of the erosion of concrete due to surface heating. Research Paper Sand 77-0922. Sandia Laboratories. Albuquerque Nm, 1978. posed to very high temperature. In: Gouda Gr. et al, Editor. Proceedings of the 16th International conference on cement microscopy. 1994. P . 36976. of fire-damaged concrete. A case study , Cement and concrete composites Volume 27, Issue 2 , February 2005, Pages 255-259. of fire affected buildings, The International Conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting, Cape Town, South Africa, November 2005. pair of Firedamaged Concrete Structures, Tec nical Report No. 68, December 2008.

2. J.K. Green, Reinstatement of concrete structures

Fig.7 XRD scan sample from First floor Column A5, depth 100 mm

3. Guise SE. Petrographic and color analysis for a

4. L. Powers-Couche, Fire damaged concrete-up

5. Gustafero AH. Experiences from evaluating fire

2. Fire has penetrated into concrete beyond the

6. Chu TY. Radiant heat evaluation of concretea

3. Due to loss of Ca(OH)2 from concrete cover, con-

4. The concrete has become brittle and quality is

7. Powers-Couche L. observations of concrete e

5. In R & D building, main beam seems to be resting

8. Georgali, B. and Tsakiridis, P . E., Microstructure

9. Tiwari, A. K., Structural assessment and repair

10. Concrete Society, Assessment, Design and R

ICI Update May 2011

19

ICI Students Chapter

MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur
MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur organized a three day symposium ADCON 2011 between 28th and 30th April 2011. It was a National Level Deminar on Future Sustainable Concrete with a talent inquest for civil engineering students. Manufacturers demonstrated their latest product during this event. Prof. S. S. Sankha was the Adviser and Mahipal Burdak was the co-ordinator for the whole programme. The first day key-note address was delivered by Er.Prakash Sharma on Correct Step for Concrete Making. On the second day of the Deminar there was a competition in paper presentation for students in which Charu Mittal was the winner. This was followed by a quiz competition in which teams of Prem Kumar and Sukhdeep Singh were declared as winners. Students took a site visit to a sewage treatment plant at Salawas and Dr. S. K. Singh guided the tour. They also visited AIIMS Jodhpur Hospital construction site, a concrete testing laboratory and a batching plant at the construction site. Prof. P . K. Agarwal On the last day, Prof.Agarwal spoke on Use of Fly Ash, its Microstructure and other mechanical and chemical properties in making the concrete. Prof. Bupendra Singh, IIT Roorkee presented a case study on DMRC Project Pier Failure. Prof. A. K.Gupta discussed on Field Failure Reasons and stressed on the Importance of Workability and Workmanship. Prof.B.Singh presented a case study on JLN Stadium and CWG Foot Bridge Failure. Er. Rajesh Kumar, Zonal Head, Ultra Tech Concrete shared his views on RMC and Value Added Concrete and explained the importance of safety at Construction Site. Lectures, Video Presentations, Demonstration of Equipments, Site Visits and Talent Quests were the highlights of the event which was informative and interactive. RTU Kota briefed on the High Performance Concrete and Self Compacting Concrete.

Opening ceremony of ADCON 2011

Chief Guest Prof. Dr. Naveen Mathur & other participant

ICI Update May 2011

20

ICI Students Chapter

Lecture by Er. Prakesh Sharma

Er. M. Khursid and Er. R. Ganeshan explaing to students.

Site Visit guided by Dr. S. K. Singh

Students participating in Talent Quest

Prof. S. S. Sankhla guiding the students

Lecture by Prof. P . K. Agarwal

ICI Update May 2011

21

ICI Students Chapter

Lecture by Prof. Bhupendra Singh

Lecture by Er. Rajeeb Kumar

Organisers with Chief Guest at valedictory function.

Tariff For advertisement

PANEL ON FRONT PAGE 6.5(w)X7(h) cm top right 5.0 X 4.5 5.0 X.25 Quarter page on specific page Half page inside pages Full page color inside pages Rs. 6000.00 Rs. 4000.00 Rs. 2500.00 Rs. 4500.00 Rs. 8000.00 Rs.15000.00

ICI Update May 2011

22

ICI Students Chapter

1. Inauguration of New ICI Students Chapter
1. ICI Student Chapter of Global Academy ICI-Student Chapter-Global Acade -

my of Technology was inaugurated on Thursday 28th April 2011 by Mr.Vijay R.Kulkarni, President ICI in the presence of Dr .C. S. Viswanatha, Chairman, CTPL. & Chairman, Taskforce for Quality Control, Bangalore. Mr. Vijay R. Kulkarni, in his inaugural address, provided full information on present state of construction industry in the country and the associated umpteen opportunities which are available for Civil Engineers. Mr. Rajkumar Pillai, Chairman, ICI, Karnataka Bangalore Centre spoke on the importance of integrity and handson experience as mandatory ingredients for young engineers for the success in any profession. Mr. M. S. Sudarshan, Vice Chairman, Civilaid Technoclinic (Pvt) Ltd. stressed upon the need for Industry Institute Interaction and explained the efforts on the part of CTPL to bridge industry and academia for mutual benefit and society wellbeing. Dr. Narendra Viswanath, Principal, Glob al Academy of Technology welcomed the gathering. The programme was successfully organised by the students under the leadership of student Coordinators Pramod. M., Amey Gudigar and Pavan P . of VI Sem. Civil Engineering under the guidance of Dr.C.V.Srinivasa, Professor and Head, Department of Civil Engineering, and Bharathi Ganesh, Assistant Professor, ICI Coordinator, GAT.
ICI Update May 2011 23 Dr. M. R. Kalgal giving away the Certificate of Merit to students Dignitaries during the Student Chapter Inauguration Inauguration of GAT-ICI Student Chapter

ICI Students Chapter

2. SRM University, NCR Campus, Modinagar
Student Chapter of SRM University, NCR Campus, Modinagar was inaugurated on 8th May 2011. Prof.K.S.Raja, Asst. Professor welcomed the gathering. Prof.A.K.Tiwari, delivered a lecture on Various Aspect of Civil Engineering. Following this office bearers of the Student Chapter were introduced. The programme ended with vote of thanks by Prof. M. K. Pandey, Dean, SRM University. On this occasion, Dr.Gajanan M.Sabnis who was the Chief Guest, gave a special lecture on Green Concrete.

Dr. Gajanan M. Sabnis alongwith Dean, SRM Uni. and Prof. A. K. Tiwari lighting lamp

Dignatries alongwith students and faculty of SRM University

Prof. A. K. Tiwari receiving bouquet from Dr. Vineet Bajaj, H.O.D., Deptt of Civil Engg.

Office-bearers of the student chapter

ICI Update May 2011

24

Forthcoming Events
ICI-Pune centre is Organising a seminar under the banner of CEMCON 2011 on Construction of Highrise Building (Above 100 M) on 17th and 18th June 2011. For details, pl contact : CEMCON 2011, c/o Arkey Engineering, Prabhat Road, Pune 4. Tel : 91-20-25670808, Fax: 91-20-25672555, 25676767. Email: icipunecentre@gmail.com, rtkulkarni@gmail.com.

ICI Update May 2011

25

New Members
Individual ANNUAL MEMBERS M.NO. 9235 9253 9254 9255 9256 9257 9263 LIFE MEMBERS 9231 9232 9233 9234 9235 9236 9237 9238 9239 9240 9241 9242 9243 9244 9245 9246 9247 9248 9249 9250 9251 9252 9253 9254 9255 9256 Umesh Wamanrao Pande Gautam Ajaykumar Jain Ziaul H. Mohammad Hasnain Ashish Kamlesh Dwivedi Mohammed Qaisar Narayan Chandra Moharana Sharmila Ganpati Babshet Nitin Ganpati Babshet Glenn Anthony Andrade M. Sundaramurthy Rajkumar Joshi Ravindra Mohan Aeron M.A.M. College of Engineering Prithwiraj Ghosh Nirmal Kumar Sarkar Prasanta Saha Suvendu Ghosh Amindya Roy Biman Chakraborty Rajiv Gupta Mriganka Mouli Sarkar Avik Patra Ashim Mazumdar Ashis Kumar Kundu Kamalesh Pyne Rajib Sarkar Nagpur Jalgaon, Maharashtra Nagpur Nagpur Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh Bhubaneswar Quepem, GOA Quepem, GOA Margao, GOA Chennai New Delhi Saharanpur, UP Trichy Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata Kolkata Siliguri Dist: Dargiling Howrah, WB Siliguri Siliguri Siliguri Siliguri Siliguri Jalpaiguri, WB NAME Mohammed Qaisar Ashim Mazumdar Ashis Kumar Kundu Kamalesh Pyne Rajib Sarkar Sujoy Kumar Biswas R. Balasubramanian PLACE Bijnor Siliguri Siliguri Siliguri Siliguri Kolkata Chennai

ICI Update May 2011

26

New Members
9257 9258 9259 9260 9261 9262 9263 9264 9265 9266 9267 9268 9269 9270 9271 9272 Sujoy Kumar Biswas Sri Ramananda Sarkar Sri Debasish Biswas Bhaskar Ghosh G. prabodh Rao Ashwin Moghe R. Balasubramanian Sunil Sharma Gautam Kumar Bysack Dr. Rajesh Gupta Dr. Rahul V. Ralegaonkar Reesha Bharath K. Prakash Nanthagopalan Vineet Bajaj K. Sureshraja Arvind Srivastava Kolkata Kolkata Salt Lake City, WB Kolkata Indore Mumbai Chennai Jodhpur Kolkata Nagpur Nagpur Calicut Calicut Delhi Modinagar Modinagar

ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE MEMBERS 9273 LIFE TO FELLOWSHIP 1936 0847 4269 Subhajit Saraswati Aparesh Chaudhuri S.K. Sing Kolkata Kolkata Roorkee P .R. Patil College Of Engg. & Technology Amravati

ICI Update May 2011

27