# Honeycombing in Concrete

> Honeycombing leaves rough, stony patches on concrete when paste does not fill the gaps. See the causes, a basement column example and how repairs are tracked.

Canonical: https://superwise.site/glossary/honeycombing/
Last updated: 2026-11-01

A concrete defect where coarse aggregate shows through the surface because the cement paste did not fill the gaps around it.

## What is Honeycombing (Concrete Defect)?

Honeycombing is a defect in cast-in-place concrete where the surface shows rough, stony patches that look like a honeycomb. It happens when the cement paste fails to fill the gaps between the coarse aggregate, usually because of insufficient vibration during pouring, a stiff mix, or cement slurry leaking through poorly sealed [shuttering](https://superwise.site/glossary/formwork/) gaps.

## Practical example

After [de-shuttering](https://superwise.site/glossary/deshuttering/) a basement column, the [site engineer](https://superwise.site/glossary/site-engineer/) finds a large patch of honeycombing at the base, with the steel [reinforcement](https://superwise.site/glossary/reinforcement-rebar/) exposed. Exposed steel will rust and weaken the structure, so the engineer orders the patch chipped out and repaired at once with high-strength structural grout.

## In SuperWise

In SuperWise an engineer logs honeycombing as an issue on the affected task, assigns it to the responsible contractor and attaches photos. The issue moves from open through in progress and resolved to closed, and the people who resolved and closed it are recorded. A finish checklist set as enforced stops the task being marked complete until the filled checklist is approved.

[Quality and safety checklists](https://superwise.site/features/construction-quality-safety/)

## Related terms

- [De-shuttering (Formwork Removal)](https://superwise.site/glossary/deshuttering/)
- [Vibrator (Needle Vibrator)](https://superwise.site/glossary/vibrator-concrete/)
- [Concrete Slump Test](https://superwise.site/glossary/concrete-slump-test/)
- [Formwork (Shuttering)](https://superwise.site/glossary/formwork/)

## Related
- [De-shuttering (Formwork Removal)](https://superwise.site/glossary/deshuttering/)
- [Vibrator (Needle Vibrator)](https://superwise.site/glossary/vibrator-concrete/)
- [Concrete Slump Test](https://superwise.site/glossary/concrete-slump-test/)
- [Formwork (Shuttering)](https://superwise.site/glossary/formwork/)
- [Quality and safety checklists](https://superwise.site/features/construction-quality-safety/)