A comprehensive guide to treating cracked concrete with the epoxy resin injection
If you’ve noticed the appearance of cracks in your walls, ceilings, flooring, or other areas of your structure’s foundations – you may need to start thinking about a crack repair solution such as the epoxy resin injection. When left untreated, cracks can worsen, such as deepen or lengthen – even eventually penetrating the concrete below a surface level. What’s more – cracked concrete can be a sign of a serious structural problem, such as leaks or corrosion of the reinforcement – so we’d always recommend investigating the cause along with getting the crack repaired as soon as possible.
In this comprehensive guide, we explore the effectiveness of using the epoxy resin injection to repair cracked concrete, and whether severe cracks can be remedied this way also. We hope you find this information useful, and please feel free to call us on 01482 425250 if you’ve any questions. We’re happy to help!
What is the epoxy resin injection?
The epoxy resin injection is a quick, affordable, and relatively easy way of repairing small to medium structural or non-structural cracks in concrete buildings, bridges, pipelines, and other structures. As the name implies, the solution is made from a high-strength epoxy resin and is suitable for the vast majority of environments. Epoxy resins, which are found within the epoxy crack filler, are formally known as polyepoxides, which are a class of reactive polymers and pre-polymers. Although a straightforward and common practice, epoxy resin injections should be applied by fully trained and qualified contractors only if the desired results are to be guaranteed the first time.
At CCUK, we provide a full range of crack injection systems, made from high-quality epoxy resin. Options are available depending on the type of structure or failure that requires repair – including:
- Resin injection systems for structural repairs;
- Chemical systems for structures open to chemical attack;
- Flexible systems for concrete crack repairs.
- Leak remediation crack repairs
The best way to see the results of epoxy crack injection is by reading about previous projects that have used the solution. Skip to our project case studies.
What type of crack is treated by the epoxy resin injection?
There is a certain criterion that specialist contractors look for in cracks before advising an appropriate solution. This varies from contractor to contractor, of course – but typically, a crack is suitable for repair via a concrete crack injection if:
- The crack is between 0.2mm – 3mm wide;
- The crack is of fine to medium severity;
- The crack is `moving/not moving`;
- The crack is structural or aesthetic.
To learn more about this subject, skip to our dedicated blog: The Ultimate Guide to Epoxy Concrete Repair
Structural & Non-Structural Cracks
It is worth noting that concrete cracks are classed as either `structural` or `non-structural`. Structural cracks are more serious and can negatively affect structural integrity, whereas non-structural cracks are not going to cause any urgent problems for your building, bridge, or other structure but if a crack allows the ingress of moisture this can lead to me sever problems very quickly. The majority of non-structural cracks are fixed easily via an epoxy injection, whereas some structural cracks will likely need further treatment afterward, or a different solution altogether.
First, let’s look at the causes of structural & non-structural cracks to give you a better idea of which solution you’ll be looking at.
Causes of Structural Cracks:
- Shrinkage of concrete – meaning as the concrete hardens, the volume reduces, which may cause cracks. This is the most popular cause!
- Foundations being designed or constructed poorly or incorrectly;
- Incorrect or weak joint applications or other types of poor workmanship.
- Corrosion internally due to moisture ingress
Causes of Non-Structural Cracks:
- Impact from tree roots and vehicles;
- The structure is built on unsteady ground, such as the type of soil.
As you can see, some of these causes are down to man-made problems, and others are caused by environmental factors. To determine the severity of your crack and its route cause, we’d always recommend seeking the advice of a specialist concrete repairs contractor. Ours have 25+ years of experience.
Many contractors appreciate it if you keep note of the dimensions of the crack, and track any changes in size up until they assess or repair your crack. We know we do!
Can severe cracks be treated by the epoxy resin injection?
The short answer is – no, not all cracks of all severities can be treated by epoxy crack repair. Though the good news is, even cracks of up to 10mm can be effectively treated via the use of other specialist applications.
What are the alternatives to crack injection?
If your crack is not suitable for an epoxy crack repair – either because the crack is too deep, wide, or long – or due to another reason, such as the location of the crack – there are other methods available.
These alternative applications vary depending on which contractors you have access to.
Suitable applications for severe cracks include:
- Thixotropic anchor grout systems
- Routing & sealing
- Stitching cracks with an epoxy-based system
- Drilling & plugging
For more information about these alternatives and whether your crack(s) is severe enough to go ahead and explore them – kindly call 01482 425250 or fill in our online form today, and we’ll get right back to you.
External link: [5 Methods to Repair Concrete Cracks (strategiesonline.net)]
Get in touch for your FREE cost analysis & feasibility survey
If you’ve noticed the appearance of cracks – whether you are responsible for a building, bridge, pipeline, or other – kindly get in touch with our Yorkshire-based concrete crack injection contractors today to book your FREE quote and feasibility survey, where we visit your site to confirm whether a crack injection system is a suitable solution. We look forward to hearing from you!
Suggested reading for you
The Ultimate Guide to Epoxy Concrete Repair
5 Uses of Epoxy Crack Injection Systems
Or, alternatively:
Download our Repairs Brochure
