This topic covers information related to the maintenance of masonry units, that occurs during the life cycle of a structure. Masonry units are a durable a material however can be significantly damaged from water intrusion and/or lack of care over time. Regular inspections of existing conditions define what care needs be applied; general maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, replacement, restoration or preservation.

This topic covers information related to the maintenance of masonry, that occurs during the life cycle of a structure. Masonry is a durable material that has a long life expectancy. After construction and during the life cycle of a building masonry walls should be inspected for damage, deterioration and cracking. Maintenance and/or repairs may be necessary depending on the condition of the masonry units and mortar at vertical walls, chimneys, parapet walls, lintels, flashing and weep holes. Neglected masonry construction may need to be rehabilitated, replaced, restored or preserved.

The concrete slab-on-grade is an economical and durable structure, suitable for a variety of floors and foundations.  The slabs are usually reinforced, and various types of joints are used to control cracking due to shrinkage of the concrete.  The tendency to shrink also leads to curling (distortion of a slab in a curved shape), primarily at the joints and at the slab's perimeter, but good choices and practices will minimize this problem.  Vapor barriers and sheets of polystyrene for insulation can be installed between the slab and the grade.

The majority of Concrete Forming is assembled in the field and allows for cast-in-place concrete to be shaped into slabs, beams, columns, floors and walls used as structural members.  Just about any material can be used to create a form, but traditional wood forming and modern pre-fabricated panel systems are the most common types of formwork for cast-in-place concrete.  The design of a forming system must consider the basic geometry of the concrete to be formed, the weight of the concrete during placement, the lateral loads (wind forces) and the methods for attachment for additional concrete pours and/or future material attachments. In more complex concrete projects, shoring or falsework is sometimes required as support or scaffolding for the formwork to ensure that the formwork can support the loads and stress being applied by the concrete.

This topic includes information related to the curing of concrete installed during construction. Concrete curing occurs after concrete is placed, when moisture content and temperature is controlled to ensure the pours quality and strength. Curing methods vary depending on the type of pour, location and weather. Several types exist; liquid membrane, polyethylene sheets, burlap, straw, hay, sand and water.

This topic includes information related to shotcrete placed during construction. Shotcrete is a wet premixed concrete that is cast onto vertical and overhead surfaces by a compressed air hose. Shotcrete does not require formwork and can be reinforced with steel rods, mesh or fibers.

There are several Specialty, or non-traditional, methods of Placing Concrete. These methods can offer economic advantages in terms of site preparation, the need for accessories and equipment, and reduced labor costs.  Properly applied, Shotcrete, a sprayed concrete, is a durable construction material that bonds strongly with earth, rock, steel and existing concrete.  Shotcrete is easily applied, its formwork assemblies are often simpler than in conventional placement, and less material is used, since the layers of sprayed concrete are thinner.  Pumped Concrete and Pneumatically Placed Concrete also involve the delivery of concrete as a spray from either a dry or wet mix. Both methods utilize pumps, primarily the mechanical type for the pumped concrete, whereas pneumatic placement uses compressed air.  For sites that are difficult to access, or at which space is limited, these methods are practical alternatives to conventional concrete placement.

This topic includes information related to concrete finishing of cast in place concrete during construction. Concrete finishing is the application of a specific additive, stamp, stencil or tool on a hardening concrete surface, to achieve a desired surface appearance or finish material characteristic. Common finishes include; leveling, floating, troweling, stamping, stenciling, brooming, rock salting, sealing and hardening. Specific types of concrete finishes include; high tolerance, heavy duty, colored, exposed aggregate, grooved, tooled and stamped.

Reinforcing Steel (Rebar) embedded in concrete provides the necessary resistance to stresses which arise from flexing and bending, allowing reinforced concrete to be used in many applications in the construction industry.  Concrete has excellent compressive strength, but it is weak in tension.  Reinforcing steel has excellent tensile strength but must be held in place to be effective.  Thus, steel reinforced concrete provides a strong structural material or composite that can be aesthetically pleasing, economical, reliable, and durable.  Fabricated from carbon steels with high yield strengths, the rebar is also ductile.  The coefficients of thermal expansion of concrete and carbon steel are similar, so that internal stresses due to expansion and contraction are minimized.  The concrete bonds strongly to the surface of the steel so that stresses are transferred efficiently from the concrete to the rebar.  This composite is now widely used for the construction of concrete slabs, concrete walls, concrete beams, concrete columns, elevated concrete floors, and concrete footings and foundations.  In the concrete, the rebar is contained in an alkaline environment and a passive film of iron oxide is formed, protecting the steel from corrosion.  However, this protection is lost if the concrete structure is exposed to seawater or deicing salts. In these conditions, galvanized (zinc-coated) or epoxy-coated rebar must be used to realize the expected durability for the reinforced concrete.