COMMON CONCRETE PROBLEMS

Problem
Cause
Excessive Bleeding Excess water in the
mix
Not enough fines in
the mix
Aggregate
Too high slump
Segregation
Over vibration
Not enough vibration

Prevention & Corrections

Reduce water content
Increase the cement or sand
Add superplasticizer
Reduce vibration in each
location
Increase vibrator at close
intervals
Use appropriate drop chutes

Too long of drop for

placement
Lack of homogeneity Increase mix time, add air
in the mix
entrainment
Sticky Finish
Too much air
Reduce air and/or fines
entrainment
Surface drying too fast Spray water on subgrade and
forms
Setting too fast
High temperatures
Use cooler water in mix or
cool aggregate with water
High cement content
Add water reducing retarder
Trucks getting hot
Sprinkle mixing drums during
from sun
wait or reschedule deliveries
for minimum wait time
Setting up too slow Mix too lean
Increase cement content or
use accelerator
Cold/wet subgrade
Insulate and or protect before
placement of concrete
Plastic shrinkage
Too rapid loss of
Fog spray at curing. Do not
cracking
water. High winds,
use vapor retarder. Set up
heat or low humidity
wind breaks
Low yield
Wrong ratio of water,
Have test run
cement and
aggregates
FLAT SLABS
Shrinkage cracks
Wrong spacing and
Cut joints the depth of slab.
depth of contraction
Space joints at 2 times the
joints
thickness
Late joint sawing
Plan to saw the same day as
pour, within 4 hours
No isolation joints at
Install isolation joints
walls or columns
Excessive shrinkage
Reduce water in mix

Hairline cracks

Blistering
Curling

Honeycomb
Surface voids

Too high slump of

Reduce water
concrete
Too early trowelling or Reduce the methods of
too much trowelling
trowelling by contractor
Rapid surface drying
Cure concrete immediately
after finishing
Slab closed too soon, Delay floating and trowelling
trapping air and water
Uneven drying
Use lower slump
between top of slab
and lower parts
WALLS
Not enough vibration Reduce height of the pour.
Insert vibrator more often.
Add superplasticizers
Air or water trapped
Reduce air entrainment.
against formworks
Vibrate as close to form as
possible