As many of you know from working with us or attending one of my presentations, I’ve been involved in concrete restoration for over 26 years. Across hundreds of projects—some highly successful, others with hard-earned lessons—we’ve seen clear patterns emerge. One of the most important: partial-depth repairs, particularly on slabs, should be avoided whenever possible.

From a durability standpoint, they often don’t hold up. Structurally, they are questionable unless properly tested—and frankly, in our experience, most engineers specifying them are not conducting the level of investigation required to justify their use. They’re also mechanically complex and prone to issues with bond integrity and long-term performance.

We’ve observed repeatedly that partial-depth slab repairs tend to crack and fail to adequately slow rebar corrosion. This leads to a costly cycle of rework—returning to fix areas that were already “repaired.” Full-depth repairs, especially on slabs, are almost always the better choice.

If your project scope includes a significant number of partial-depth concrete repairs, it’s important to question the engineer about their rationale.

Ask them:

“What is your basis of design for specifying partial-depth repairs in these locations?”

There must be a sound engineering justification—based on field testing, destructive investigation, or specific material conditions. Without that, you’re at risk of investing in a repair approach that lacks the reliability and longevity your structure deserves. In many scenarios, full-depth repairs or alternative methods offer better long-term performance.

Beams and columns are a separate conversation, but for horizontal surfaces like slabs, the case for full-depth repairs is strong and well-supported by years of field data.

If you’d like to discuss your specific project or need help reviewing repair strategies, feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to share what we’ve learned.

– Carmelo Giglio, PE, SI, FRSE, CGC, CSI-CDT