International Concrete Abstracts Portal

Styrene-butadiene latex modified concrete system is an effective technique for repair and rehabilitation of parking garage decks. The system appears to retard corrosion of the reinforcing steel and has many benefits, including ease of placement and workability, superior flexural and bonding strength, and deicer scaling resistance. Styrene-butadiene latex modified concrete can be applied in parking structures during the winter months with few problems.

SP-116 Polymers in Concrete: Advances and Applications gathers and evaluates the latest information on the effects of polymers in concrete. This important ACI publication, a collection of 12 symposium papers combining the development of new concrete polymer materials, give greater insight into the advances of polymer concrete. Gathering expertise form around the world, Polymers in Concrete: Advances and Applications presents case studies such as cold weather polymer concrete repair; performance of multiple layer polymer concrete overlays on bridge decks; electrically conductive polymer concrete facing; influence of aggregate on the fracture properties of polyester polymer concrete; and future trends in polymer concrete. The mission of ACI Committee 548 is to gather and evaluate information on the effects of polymers in concrete. It has sponsored six symposia, all of which have received world-wide acclaim.

Composite materials based on sulfur polymer cement (SPC) and mineral aggregate have been developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines as part of a program to utilize abundant mineral resources. Program goals are to develop durable, chemically resistant construction materials to increase productivity in the chemical, fertilizer, and metallurgical industries by lowering maintenance costs for labor, energy, equipment, and material. This paper describes the research related to development of SPC, the sulfur concrete (SC), and the industrial testing, together with commercial-scale equipment development and large-scale construction practices. Thermoplastic SPC is produced commercially by reacting cyclic olefinic hydrocarbon chemical modifiers with elemental sulfur at 300 F (149 C) in a sealed chemical reactor. The molten SPC is mixed with mineral aggregates, producing a high-strength concrete product with an average compressive strength of 7000 psi (48 MPa) upon cooling. State-of-the-art production and construction techniques are described. Currently, SC materials are showing superior performance characteristics to portland cement concrete (PCC) in special industrial applications where corrosive environments exist.

A summary of the results of an experimental program to investigate the structural behavior of composite sandwich beams having polymer concrete (PC) on the top and bottom facings is presented. The possible application of PC as a facing material is of interest since it may provide an effective use for the material. A total of 18 different cross-sectional configurations were investigated. Polyester-based PC facings were used in conjunction with three separate core materials: sand-lightweight portland cement concrete, expanded polystyrene foam, and rigid polyurethane foam. Various combinations of core and facing thicknesses were used. Load-deflection responses, strain and stress distributions, modes of failure, and ultimate strengths of the beams were monitored. The experimental results were compared to sandwich beam theory and, in general, compared well. Overall, the results of the study suggest that the application of PC as a facing material holds high potential and warrants further attention.

Presents 6-year results of a study undertaken to evaluate multiple-layer polymer concrete overlays (MLPCO) over a 10-year period. The paper indicates that an overlay with low permeability and high skid resistance can be successfully installed by a contractor, state, or federal labor forces with minimum traffic disruption. The MLPCO evaluated were constructed with four polyester resins and silica sand, a polyester para-resin and silica sand, two flexible epoxies and basalt aggregate, and three EP5-LV epoxies and silica sand. A single-layer high molecular weight methacrylate overlay was also evaluated. With the exception of the overlay constructed with the polyester para-resin, the initial condition of the 20 overlays evaluated between 1981 and 1987 was good to excellent from the standpoint of permeability, skid resistance, and bond, although some overlays were better than others. Also, with the one exception, the overlays were in good-to-excellent condition after 1 year in service, but the permeability had increased and the bond strength and skid resistance had decreased significantly.