Concrete Solutions

Book excerpt: Concrete repair continues to be a subject of major interest to engineers and technologists worldwide. The concrete repair budget for the UK alone currently runs at some UKP 220 per annum. Some estimates have indicated that, worldwide, in 2010 the expenditure for maintenance and repair work will represent about 85% of the total expenditure in the construction field. It has been forecast that, in the same year in the USA, 50 billion dollars will be spent just for the restoration of deteriorated bridges and viaducts. An understanding of the latest techniques in repair and testing and inspection is thus crucial to the international construction industry. This book, with contributions from 34 countries, brings together the best in research, practical application, strategy and theory relating to concrete repair, testing and inspection, fire damage, composites and electro-chemical repair.