Concrete Crack Repair with Polymer Modified Materials - The Need for Specialized Training of Applicators, Suppliers, Consultants and Clients

Abstract

Concrete repair with polymer modified materials has become an integral part of the civil construction industry. Often, under-performance or even failure of such repairs can be attributed to the incorrect selection, preparation, application or care of the repair process. The root cause of this is basically the lack of adequate knowledge and understanding of the repair material and the repair process by the applicator, the supplier, the consultant and the client. Unfortunately, it seems that there is very little done in terms of the training of these four stakeholders. Decisions regarding repair materials and processes are often based on personal preferences, an elementary cost analysis and convincing sales pitches by some snake-oil salesmen.By using questionnaires designed specifically for each of the four different sectors of the concrete repair industry, a survey was done with regards to the state of training in South Africa in this specialized field. The results indicate that, although there is agreement that polymer-modified concrete patch repair is a highly specialized field; there is an unacceptably low level of training in each of these sectors with regards to the correct selection, application and care of such repair materials. Incorrect specification, inappropriate material selection, misunderstanding of the material properties and inadequate quality control are outcomes of this lack of knowledge and understanding which subsequently may lead to premature failures and/or under-performance of the repair. In addition, the survey results also indicate that the workforce performing the physical repair work, is mainly unskilled and some serious intervention is required to correct this situation.