Repairing a concrete post

[Zebedeewesty]

A couple of the concrete posts on my garage are damaged due to the reinforcing rods rusting, expanding and blowing the concrete apart. The fact that the reinforment was right at the surface of the concrete instead of in the middle obviously hasn't helped matters.




Finding replacements is out of the question so i'm gonna have to repair them if possible.
Is it just a case of creating some formwork the right shape and filling with new concrete or is there something else i need to be doing?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Just how do those "Posts" fit into yer garage in the grand scheme of things,..??

What are they supportin',..??

What do they Do,..??

 

[pattenp]

Thinking same thing. Can you replace the concrete post with steel columns?

Ayuh,.... Just how do those "Posts" fit into yer garage in the grand scheme of things,..??

What are they supportin',..??

What do they Do,..??

 

[Lippyp]

Its a concrete sectional garage, you have posts at the corners and every say four foot, then four foot by say two foot flat concrete panels slot between them to form the walls. long carriage bolts and the roof hold it together. Its a relatively cheap and very quick to erect garage thats often used here in the UK. I had one at the last house, they tend to have a single pitch flat roof and have tbh a fair amount of drawbacks. They tend to be damp and draughty especially as they sit on the slab so have a habit of leaking under the walls. They are also cold unless you can line and insulate them.



Repairing those is gonna be tough as you've got to get the two parts to stick together. You might have to try and drill it and use some kind of epoxy to set some rebar into the old bit to reinforce it. Otherwise it'll just break off easily along the old break.

This is the inside of my old one emptied out for the move. When we move in it only had half a roof and no door so I fixed it up with a new roof and made the doors, it was better than nothing but ****** damp and too small to get my car in. You can see how it works though.

 

[wrenchguy]

email back and forth with these guys about preserving wood and concrete. i use their wood penetrating formula 4 restoring wood projects. u ain't gotta buy from them as u got epoxy guys over there. i know its gotta be dri, dry and really dry. up on saw horses in a bath should work fine.

http://www.aeromarineproducts.com/

 

[kbs2244]

Can we assume the posts you have shown have been removed from their placement?
So it is just a question of making replacements?

If so, then making a horizontal form with mounting supports for the re-bar would not be all that complex.
Cast them one at a time and replace at your pleasure.

 

[Zebedeewesty]

Its as Lippyp says. Posts with panels between them.

The posts are just lying on the ground at the moment as it seemed easier to attempt a repair before erecting it rather than when they were standing upright.

Its literally just the bottom corner maybe 6" high thats broken off.

 

[ConCretin]

I'd be tempted to chase that rusted bar back a bit and maybe even replace it with one that has proper cover. Regardless of what you choose to do with the rebar, use a good quality epoxy bonding agent to keep the patch in place.

A product such as Armatec 110 will encapsulate the existing bar to keep it from rusting and act as a bonding agent. The Armatec is a three part cementitious product that is a little easier to use that the pure liquid or gel epoxies. The only problem is, you may have to buy more than you need because you you're supposed to mix the entire unit and I don't know how small the smallest unit is - we buy it in 5 gal pails.

 

[Zebedeewesty]

I got given some epoxy bonding stuff off a builder mate. Its just painted on before concrete repair mix is put on.
I've given it a try and will see in a couple of days how its holding up.

 

[Zebedeewesty]

Just checked on the post and the formwork moved slightly as I clamped it up. It looks like it could be OK with a little grinding though as its only a small patch.

 

[Tscott]

You need to find out more about the type of construction of the post. Is it a pre-stressed concrete member or is it simply a poured concrete post with steel reinforcement? Just by the looks of it, I'd say it's the latter. If that is the case then job number one would be to find out why it's rusting and then prevent it or the entire pole will split as the rebar continues to rust. I'm not sure a repair is going to add much strength back to the post so unless you want it to look uniform, I wouldn't bother fixing it.

Tom

 

[Zebedeewesty]

Its just poured concrete with steel reinforcement, though the placement of it was just under the surface.
From looking at it there was an old chip or crack (probably from someone knocking or dropping it) which has let water in and rusted the outside of the rebar. At the bottom of the post it looks like the rebar might have even broken the surface of the concrete it was that shallow.

The post is a good 3" thick and solid. Its just the thin wing on the edge where the panel buts against thats cracked off. They are 7" wide in total.

If i didnt fix it water could possibly pass through the panel to post join.