Probable Errors in Placement of

Reinforcement and Their Effects

Proper reinforcement fabrication and its placement in forms are vital in

concrete constructions, to achieve the design requirements. The following
are some of the prevailing errors and mistakes in the placement of
reinforcement infield practice.

 Improper anchorage of the main reinforcement at the

intersection of the cantilever slab and beam.
 Ineffective placement of reinforcement with respect to the depth
of the member, which reduces the lever arm in the beam or slab.
 Discontinuity of reinforcement at continuous edges of the slabs.
 Deformations and dislocations of reinforcement during
concreting due to construction loads. (e.g., workers walking
over the reinforcements.
 Inadequate lap lengths.
  Cluster of reinforcing bars at splicing points.
 Inadequate spacing of bars.
 Insufficient or non-uniform cover for reinforcement, which
leads to corrosion.
 Improper use or absence of cover blocks.
 Reduction in bar diameter due to corrosion and due to improper
storage of the bars at the site
 Bars with larger diameters used due to the non-availability of
bars with correct diameters.
 Improper detailing and placing of stirrups.

Construction errors during concreting at site may occur due to failure to follow
specified procedures and good practice or outright carelessness. Most of these
errors may not lead to failure or deterioration of concrete, but they may have
adverse impact on the structure with time.

Errors During Concrete Construction at Site

The construction errors which are likely to occur at site with preventive
measures of them is discussed in detail below. These errors not only occur
during new construction, but may also happen during repair or rehabilitation
works.
Adding water to concrete
Water is usually added to concrete in one or both of the following
circumstances: First, water is added to the concrete in a delivery truck to
increase slump and decrease pouring or placement effort. This will lead to
concrete with lowered strength and reduced durability. As the water/cement
ratio of the concrete increases, the strength and durability will decrease. In the
second case, water is commonly added during finishing of structural member.
This leads to scaling, crazing, and dusting of the concrete.

Improper alignment of formwork

Improper alignment of the formwork will lead to discontinuities on the surface
of the concrete. While these discontinuities are unsightly in all circumstances,
their occurrence may be more critical in areas that are subjected to high velocity
flow of water, where cavitation-erosion may be induced, or in lock chambers
where the “rubbing” surfaces must be straight.

Improper consolidation or compaction of concrete

Improper compaction of concrete may result in a variety of defects, the most
common being bugholes, honeycombing, and cold joints. Bugholes are formed
when small pockets of air or water are trapped against the forms. A change in
the mixture to make it less “sticky” or the use of small vibrators worked in the
form has been used to help eliminate bugholes. Honeycombing can be reduced
by inserting the vibrator more frequently, inserting the vibrator as close as
possible to the form face without touching the form, and slower withdrawal of
the vibrator. Obviously, any or all of these defects make it much easier for any
damage-causing mechanism to initiate deterioration of the concrete. Frequently,
a fear of overconsolidation is used to justify a lack of effort in consolidating
concrete. Overconsolidation is usually defined as a situation in which the
consolidation effort causes all of the coarse aggregate to settle to the bottom
while the paste rises to the surface. If this situation occurs, it is reasonable to
conclude that there is a problem of a poorly proportioned concrete rather than
too much consolidation.

Improper curing
Curing is probably the most abused aspect of the concrete construction process.
Unless concrete is given adequate time to cure at a proper humidity and
temperature, it will not develop the characteristics that are expected and that are
necessary to provide durability. Symptoms of improperly cured concrete can
include various types of cracking and surface disintegration. In extreme cases
where poor curing leads to failure to achieve anticipated concrete strengths,
structural cracking may occur.

Improper location of reinforcing steel

This section refers to reinforcing steel that is improperly located or is not
adequately secured in the proper location. Either of these faults may lead to two
general types of problems. First, the steel may not function structurally as
intended, resulting in structural cracking or failure. A particularly prevalent
example is the placement of welded wire mesh in floor slabs. In many cases, the
mesh ends up on the bottom of the slab which will subsequently crack because
the steel is not in the proper location. The second type of problem stemming
from improperly located or tied reinforcing steel is one of durability. The
tendency seems to be for the steel to end up near the surface of the concrete. As
the concrete cover over the steel is reduced, it is much easier for corrosion to
begin.

Movement of formwork
Movement of formwork during the period while the concrete is going from a
fluid to a rigid material may induce cracking and separation within the concrete.
A crack open to the surface will allow access of water to the interior of the
concrete. An internal void may give rise to freezing or corrosion problems if the
void becomes saturated.

Premature removal of shores or reshores

If shores or reshores are removed too soon, the concrete affected may become
overstressed and cracked. In extreme cases there may be major failures.

Settling of the concrete

During the period between placing and initial setting of the concrete, the heavier
components of the concrete will settle under the influence of gravity. This
situation may be aggravated by the use of highly fluid concretes. If any restraint
tends to prevent this settling, cracking or separations may result. These cracks
or separations may also develop problems of corrosion or freezing if saturated.

Settling of the subgrade

If there is any settling of the subgrade during the period after the concrete
begins to become rigid but before it gains enough strength to support its own
weight, cracking may also occur.

Vibration of freshly placed concrete

Most construction sites are subjected to vibration from various sources, such as
blasting, pile driving, and from the operation of construction equipment. Freshly
placed concrete is vulnerable to weakening of its properties if subjected to
forces which disrupt the concrete matrix during setting.

Improper finishing of flat concrete surface

The most common improper finishing procedures which are detrimental to the
durability of flat concrete surface are discussed below:
 Adding water to the surface: Evidence that water is being added to
the surface is the presence of a large paint brush, along with other
finishing tools. The brush is dipped in water and water is “slung” onto the
surface being finished.
 Timing of finishing: Final finishing operations must be done after the
concrete has taken its initial set and bleeding has stopped. The waiting
period depends on the amounts of water, cement, and admixtures in the
mixture but primarily on the temperature of the concrete surface. On a
partially shaded slab, the part in the sun will usually be ready to finish
before the part in the shade.
 Adding cement to the surface: This practice is often done to dry up
bleed water to allow finishing to proceed and will result in a thin cement-
rich coating which will craze or flake off easily.
 Use of tamper: A tamper or “jitterbug” is unnecessarily used on many
jobs. This tool forces the coarse aggregate away from the surface and can
make finishing easier. This practice, however, creates a cement-rich
mortar surface layer which can scale or craze. A jitterbug should not be
allowed with a well designed mixture. If a harsh mixture must be
finished, the judicious use of a jitterbug could be useful.
 Jointing: The most frequent cause of cracking in flatwork is the
incorrect spacing and location of joints.