International Concrete Abstracts Portal

A test method was developed to predict the risks of ASR expansion for actual field concrete compositions. Concrete prisms (7 x 7 x 28 cm) were cast, demolded, and measured for their initial length. They were then immersed in an alkaline solution at 150 C for 3 weeks in individual stainless steel containers and their lengths were monitored weekly. The concentration of the solution was adapted to match as closely as possible the composition of the interstitial pore solution by summing up the contribution of the binder constituents to the effective sodium and potassium contents, respectively. Despite this fact, the alkali balance before and after treatment of the prisms shows that the concrete is enriched in Na 2O and/or K 2O during the cure. The expansions reached at 150 C after 3 weeks were compared to those obtained at 100 percent relative humidity in air at 38 and 60 C after 12 and 4 months, respectively. Good correlations were obtained for the 67 different concrete mixes tested. Consequently, an expansion value of 0.11 percent was proposed as a provisional limit, which is rather conservative. Reaction products were studied by SEM, optical microscopy, and electron microprobe as gels, and semi-organized and crystallized compounds, and were shown to be present in cracks and pores as well as within the paste. The composition of the products formed at 150 C seems to be restricted to a narrower range of Ca, Si, Na, and K concentrations than what has been reported at lower temperatures.

Petrographic examination and the South African mortar bar test have been performed at SINTEF--Structures and Concrete during the last 2 to 3 years to evaluate the reactivity of Norwegian aggregates to be used in concrete structures. Paper presents the relationships between these two test methods. The purpose of the petrographic examination is to identify, quantify, and group different rock types in an aggregate. These groups are: reactive (with known reactive field performance), potentially reactive, and innocuous aggregates. In Norway, further testing by the mortar bar test is recommended when petrographic examination indicates 20 percent of reactive or potentially reactive rock types in the aggregates. The mortar bar expansion after 14 days of exposure is used for the evaluation of potential expansivity of the aggregates. One main conclusion from the investigation is that mortar bar expansion increases to an upper level with increasing content of reactive rocks in the aggregates. Beyond a "marginal" amount of reactive rocks in aggregates, the mortar bar expansion increases no further. A significant difference in mortar bar expansion between different reactive rock types has not been found. The established limit of 20 percent of reactive rocks in aggregates appears, in most cases, sufficient for classifying aggregates as innocuous; however, no verification of the limit has been made.

Cracking of concrete, whatever its origin (mechanical, physicochemical, thermal, ...) is a factor accelerating the deterioration of the material. The knowledge of the transfer properties of sound concrete and of cracked concrete is essential for predicting its durability since the deteriorating mechanisms (freezing, corrosion, lixiviation) are related by the flow of aggressive (liquid or gas) agents through the porous body. An experimental system has been developed with the purpose of estimating the increase in permeability resulting from mechanically induced cracking. A specimen of concrete is subjected to uniaxial or biaxial tension, and the water permeability is measured in the direction perpendicular to the axis of loading. The tests are designed and monitored to collect data useful for modeling of concrete structures: the material is in tension (and not in compression, as it is more classical in studies of damage-permeability coupling), and the permeability is measured with open cracks. The response in tension being unstable, the geometry of the specimen has been designed with great care, using knowledge previously accumulated in ``PIED" uniaxial diffused damage tension test. It results that the transfer properties are evaluated in the most unfavorable context. The way the specimen has been designed for these measurements is detailed, then the experimental frame (triaxial press ASTREE) is presented, and some experimental results on preliminary tests are given.

For the calculation of civil engineering structures, designers employ the mechanical aspect underestimating the physicochemical phenomena in connection with the hydration of cement paste. Although the mechanical approach is widely sufficient for classical structures, this is not the case for large structures like dams, where thermophysical phenomena play a leading part. After a short analysis of the degradation observed on a roller compacted concrete dam, showing the importance of the control of hydration effects on mass concrete, the authors present a thermomechanical model able to describe the main evolutions of concrete properties with aging. Application to the Riou dam shows the ability of the approach to simulate temperature, strains, and stresses and, as a consequence, the risk of damage for the structure. Cracks in the middle of the dam are properly represented. This approach permits determination of the position and number of construction joints and setting the schedule of construction as thickness of concrete layers or maximum delay between two layers.

Reinforcement corrosion due to chloride ingress is the most common cause of concrete deterioration in Norway. A wharf with dimensions of 270 x 25 m was built in 1965 to 1966 and required partial repairs in 1980, 1986, and 1989 to 1990. The repair work included some research and development. The conclusion of the 1989 inspection was that no corrosion activity was evident in the earlier repaired areas. Repair mortar with silica fume had somewhat lower chloride ingress and significantly higher electrical resistivity than mortar without silica fume. Latex addition to the repair mortar showed the same effect, as well as a reduced water content. The main conclusion is that materials and working procedures used for the 1980 repair have resulted in a satisfactory service life of at least 10 years.