The biggest cause for concern when voids occur on the exterior portions of members is that additional, unseen defects could exist on the interior portions. Honeycombing due to lack of proper consolidation is of particular concern, especially in the portions of precast concrete members that are highly congested with prestressing strands and mild reinforcement.

Prior to considering repair options, explore the voids to check for additional damage. The areas around the voids should be chipped to sound, undamaged concrete. However, do not chip out concrete around prestressed strands before discussing with the Engineer.

Occasionally Contractors ask to use Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) to investigate the severity of honeycombing when it appears to be severe and the Engineer is considering rejection. Most of the available technology (e.g. Impact Echo and Pulse Velocity) cannot effectively show whether small voids exist along congested prestressing strands or mild reinforcement. Although the Contractor may propose to use NDE, it is up to the Engineer to determine whether it is acceptable. Generally NDE requires destructive verification testing, which is oftentimes not an option in highly congested concrete, such as the bottom flanges of prestressed girders.