Concrete Rehabilitation in Practice: A Training Course in Repair, Corrosion Control and FRP Strengthening
1Summary
Not every deteriorated structure needs to come down — in most cases, the right diagnosis and repair strategy can restore safety and add decades of service life at a fraction of the cost of rebuilding. This Advanced Concrete Repair training course focuses on that decision-making process: reading deterioration correctly, choosing repair materials and methods that actually match the damage, and applying modern strengthening systems — including FRP strengthening — where structures need more than repair.
Delivered by Arab British Fellowship Training Academy within its Construction and Civil Engineering Training Courses, the programme explores advanced approaches to structural rehabilitation and engineering maintenance and operation. Participants work through FRP strengthening, concrete restoration, corrosion-related damage, repair specifications, quality control, and performance evaluation, building the judgement needed for effective and sustainable structural rehabilitation projects.
2Objectives and target group
- Systematically assess concrete deterioration and structural damage using visual and non-destructive techniques.
- Diagnose the causes of cracking and reinforcement corrosion, including carbonation and chloride attack.
- Develop repair strategies and select compatible, fit-for-purpose repair materials.
- Apply crack repair and corrosion protection techniques suited to different structural conditions.
- Understand and apply structural strengthening methods, including jacketing and steel reinforcement.
- Design and evaluate FRP strengthening systems and their installation requirements.
- Apply structural restoration techniques to extend service life and improve durability.
- Prepare repair specifications, method statements and quality control procedures.
- Evaluate the long-term performance of repaired and strengthened structures through real project experience.
Target Audience
- Civil and structural engineers
- Structural repair and rehabilitation specialists
- Construction and maintenance engineers
- Site and project engineers
- Building and infrastructure maintenance professionals
- Quality control and quality assurance engineers
- Consultants involved in structural assessment and rehabilitation
- Engineers responsible for concrete asset management seeking advanced repair and strengthening expertise
3Course Content
Module 1: Repair or Replace? Assessing Concrete Deterioration and Damage
- Causes and mechanisms of concrete deterioration
- Structural defects and failure mechanisms
- Visual inspection and diagnostic techniques
- Non-destructive and semi-destructive testing methods
- Structural integrity and serviceability evaluation
Module 2: Diagnosing the Cause: Cracks, Corrosion and Deterioration Mechanisms
- Types and causes of concrete cracking, structural and non-structural
- Crack mapping and assessment
- Mechanisms of reinforcement corrosion
- Carbonation and chloride-induced deterioration
- Corrosion assessment and diagnosis
Module 3: Repair Principles, Strategy and Material Selection
- Principles of effective Concrete Repair
- Repair strategy development and method selection
- Cementitious, polymer-modified and epoxy/resin-based repair materials
- Grouts, bonding agents and rapid-setting materials
- Material selection based on structural and environmental conditions
Module 4: Treating Cracks and Corrosion: Practical Repair Techniques
- Injection, sealing, routing and filling methods for cracks
- Prevention of recurring cracks
- Concrete removal and reinforcement treatment
- Corrosion protection systems
- Surface preparation and substrate treatment
Module 5: Structural Strengthening Methods: Jacketing, Steel and Section Enlargement
- Principles of structural strengthening and load assessment
- Reinforced concrete strengthening methods
- Section enlargement and concrete jacketing
- Steel plate and steel member strengthening
- Strengthening of beams, columns, slabs and other elements
Module 6: FRP and Advanced Composite Strengthening Systems
- Fundamentals of FRP strengthening
- Carbon, glass and aramid fibre systems
- Externally bonded FRP applications
- Bonding, anchorage and installation considerations
- Inspection and quality control of FRP systems
Module 7: Structural Restoration and Extending Service Life
- Structural restoration principles
- Restoration of ageing concrete structures
- Strengthening for increased load capacity
- Seismic and durability-related strengthening
- Sustainable rehabilitation and life-cycle considerations
Module 8: Quality Control, Documentation and Project Management for Repair Works
- Repair specifications and method statements
- Quality assurance and quality control
- Site supervision and workmanship requirements
- Testing and acceptance criteria
- Repair documentation, reporting and monitoring
Module 9: Applying It All: Lessons from Real Rehabilitation Projects
- Assessment of real-world concrete deterioration
- Repair and strengthening strategy development
- Selection of rehabilitation technologies
- Evaluation of repair performance
- Lessons learned and practical application of advanced methods