Bond beam repair - rebar or no?

[vmacmore]

Yup

@bdavis466 - hoping for your advice please! We're in the middle of a remodel, pool is demoed and they are currently fixing the cracked areas in the bond beam. They are just adding new cement without using any rebar to tie in to existing structure. PB says he doesn't recommend adding rebar because it can weaken the bond beam since it's so thin. I read where you'd mentioned if the concrete put in was less than 4" you don't need rebar. In your opinion, are we ok not adding it in this situation? I also do not see any bonding agent being used. I've attached photos of the mortar bags. Thank you for any help - the work is being done today!!!

 

[vmacmore]

Hello TFPers - Bond beam being repaired today and I have some concerns after reading over TFPers stories. They are not adding rebar. PB says it can weaken bond beam bc it's so thin. He is using a concrete bonding adhesive by quickrete. They are just filling in gaps/cracks in beam with mortar and will reapply brick coping on top with thinnest. Is it true if filled area is less than 4" (ours is probably 2-3") then no rebar is needed? Is what he's using adequate mortar?

ps - the area he has done already needs to be grinned down bc he made it too high. Not sure what he was thinking...and...sorry for a new thread on this; the work is being done today so I'm really hoping for a quick reply. I can delete this thread in a couple days if it helps clean up the topics.

THANKS MUCH!

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Yes, there is no requirement for rebar under 4” of thickness. The material is correct that he is using but it’s all about prep work prior to installation. All surfaces must be absolutely clean, best done with a minimum 3500 psi power washer. I would think if he is a pool builder he has access to a laser level for this part of the pool construction.

 

[ajw22]

I don't know what the dimensions are of the existing bond beam or of the repaired area. But I would think drilling holes in the existing bond beam and epoxying vertical rebar rods into it that tie into the new repair area will help tie together the old with the new.

Is your existing bond beam so thin that your contractor thinks drilling a 1/4" or 3/8" hole will make it crumble? If it is that fragile then I would not build on top of it and you need to demo further down until you get to a structurally sound area.

 

[vmacmore]

Thanks ajw22 and Aqua-Holics. He's cleaning out under pretty well (no pressure washer tho...). I doubt the bond beam is so thin it'll be a problem, but in the end, I just have to trust the PB. We got 8 bids before selecting him so I did give him quite a bit of thought, and even visited prior jobs and talked to former customers of his. I came here bc I thought I'd seen rebar was required and just wanted to make the suggestion to him if it was. Really appreciate this forum, so much. Thanks again.

 

[jimmythegreek]

No rebar needed on this. The old should have been cleaned out extremely well and a bonding agent used. That rapid set mix is home depot junk in my opinion. Hope it turns out well in the end for you