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In concrete pavements, damages occurred which are related to an Alkali-Silica-Reaction (ASR). Although the background for such an ASR has been studied extensively, special conditions in pavements increase this reaction significantly. These are especially the superposition of microstructural degradation caused by cyclic loading with an external alkali supply. Previous investigations of ASR focused mainly on the material itself (aggregates, cements, assessment of the concrete) while these special circumstances have not been considered. Concrete pavements are subjected to cyclic loadings by traffic and climate changes.
Within cooperative research projects the different interdependent influencing factors for a damaging ASR in concrete pavements are studied by experiments as well as by numeric modelling. On the micro-level the ASR-related processes within the aggregate, such as gel-formation or ion-transport, are investigated. On the meso-level, the project focuses on the characterization of degradation effects in the concrete microstructure due to cyclic loading. Further, special attention is paid to the transport behavior of fluids in such pre-damaged concrete structures with and without the effect of overrunning tires as well as the impact on the ASR itself. Finally, on the macro-level the risk of an ASR-damage is assessed.
High-strength concrete (HSC) will experience thermal microcracking, explosive spalling, and undesirable chemical changes when exposed to high temperatures, such as during fire, engulfment by lava flow, or nuclear meltdown. Knowledge of the resultant changes in mechanical, physical, and chemical properties is paramount for hazard mitigation. We present a multidisciplinary study on the influence of thermal-stressing on HSC. Our study shows that thermal microcracking in HSC initiates at 180 °C, is more prevalent during cooling, and exhibits the Kaiser 'temperature-memory' effect. We show that residual compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, ultrasonic wave velocities, and Youngs modulus and Poissons ratio decrease, whilst porosity and permeability increase with increasing temperature. We discuss these data in terms of the chemical changes during thermal-stressing, provided by thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction, and from optical microscopic analysis of thermally-stressed samples. We provide implications for thermally-damaged HSC structures and a new method for non-destructive monitoring.
This paper presents the results of an
experimental study on the transient strain of high
strength concrete (HSC) under heating up to 750 °C
and the impact of polypropylene (PP) fibers. Concerning
this topic only few results are available in the
literature and systematic investigations are missing.
However, basic knowledge is necessary for the
understanding of the internal damage processes in
the material as well as for heated structures. The
transient strain during heating can be separated in two
basic components: the free thermal strain and the
mechanical strain. They were experimentally determined
exemplarily for one HSC. For the determination
of the mechanisms of transient strain and particularly
the influence of PP fibers different techniques were
applied. In this context the monitoring of the microcracking
was done for the first time with acoustic
emission analysis in combination with ultrasonic
measurements. This new approach helps fundamentally
to explain the impact of PP fibers on free thermal
strain and mechanical strain during heating up.
Furthermore weight loss measurements were carried
out to characterize the moisture transport. It was
shown that the PP fibers cause an acceleration of the
moisture transport in the temperature range from 200
to 250 °C which leads to drying shrinkage in opposite
direction to the free thermal strain. Hence this paper is
a contribution to the general understanding of the
impact of PP fibers in HSC at high temperatures and
emphasizes the important influence of PP fibers on the
thermal and mechanical induced strain of HSC.
This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the influence of polypropylene (PP) fibres on the thermal strain of high strength concrete (HSC) at temperatures up to 750°C. Concerning this topic only few results can be found in the literature and systematic investigations are missing. However, basic knowledge is necessary to understand the internal damage processes as well as for structural design.
To explain the differences in the thermal strain of HSC with and without addition of PP fibres the internal damage processes were investigated with acoustic emission (AE) analysis and ultrasound (US). Furthermore the weight loss was measured continuously during heating to monitor the drying of the specimen. This novel approach by combining these different methods with strain measurements at high temperatures allows the integral description of the internal damage processes. The results reveal significant differences in the thermal strain of HSC when PP fibres are added. Between 200°C and 250°C the thermal strain of HSC with PP fibres is superimposed by shrinkage caused by accelerated drying. Above 250°C it is lower than that of plain HSC without PP fibres. It is supposed that it is caused by a more homogeneous distribution of micro cracks whereby the fibre beds acting as defects in the concrete.
Hence this paper gives a contribution to the general understanding of the impact of PP fibres in HSC at high temperatures and points out the influence of the fibres on the thermal strain of HSC.
Influence of the preload on the mechanical properties of high strength concrete at high temperatures
(2009)
The durability of concrete structures due to alkali-silica-reaction (ASR) is usually been assessed by ASR concrete prism tests (CPT). Therefore, the expansion of concrete specimens indicates an alkalisensitivity.
In Germany these tests are performed at 40°C or accelerated 60°C. Nevertheless, ASR prism tests are expensive, power and time-consuming. For these reasons, an alternative chemical test (“mod. BTU-test”) was developed in the past. The “mod. BTU-test” was correlated with German standard CPT.
In this test, the solubility of silica and alumina in the liquid phase is measured by ICP-OES.
For special requirements in concrete road construction, stricter test procedures are necessary. The specimens are repeatedly subjected to cyclic alternating storage in NaCl. On the one hand, the presence of NaCl increases the ASR expansion, on the other hand NaCl also changes the dissolution behaviour of silica and alumina.
For now is not possible to correlate the solubilities of “mod. BTU-test” and ASR expansions influenced by NaCl. Therefore, four aggregates with different ASR sensitivities were chosen and ASR concrete prism tests (in addition with NaCl) have been performed. According to the “mod. BTU-test” the solubilities of silica and alumina in presence of different NaCl concentrations were measured.
This paper is about the regression analysis of silica and alumina dissolution and ASR expansion tests in presence of NaCl. The regression analysis shows the influence of a quasi-continuous and an interrupted cyclic alternating storage. Additionally the effects of temperature and NaCl concentration are investigated. In the end, a suitable NaCl concentration of the “mod. BTU-test” for dissolution experiments is recommended. The “mod. BTU-Test” with NaCl might be a serious and reliable test method for ASR classification for concrete road construction.
Fatigue induced degradation in pavement concrete and its effect on the alkali-silica reaction
(2018)
In recent years the German motorway network has seen an increase in the occurrence of damage to concrete road surfaces that can be attributed to the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). In view of the often drastically reduced service life of road surfaces due to ASR, research activity in this field has notably increased. Alongside preventative measures in concrete technology i.e. the usage of low-alkali cements, the main research focus up to now has been on the development of performance-oriented testing procedures for ASR prevention. The effects of mechanicallyinduced damage resulting from cyclic traffic and climatic loading have previously not been taken into consideration.
The assessment of the myriad degradation and transport processes necessary for an understanding of these effects requires close interaction between experiments and corresponding multi-scale models. This contribution is focused on the experiments utilizing innovative testing techniques. The research is founded on a series of fatigue tests performed on large-scale beams with simultaneous tracking of the degradation process using non-destructive evaluation methods. Subsequently, smaller test specimens were extracted from the predamaged beams for further experiments. These experiments included investigation of the influence of fatigue-induced cracks on moisture and alkali transport. Subsequent storage of the small-scale test specimens, with and without cyclic pre-damage, in an ASR-conducive environment then provided initial findings on the influence of fatigue-induced degradation on the ASR.
The results show that the degradation process can be well observed with the test Setup developed for the fatigue experiments. Further, a small but noticeable increase of mass Transport due to fatigue-induced degradation was measured, which correspondingly indicated an increased ASR damage potential.
Concrete pavement surface textures are divided by means of their dimension into four categories: microtexture, macrotexture, megatexture and roughness. They influence the most important performance characteristics of road surfaces, such as friction (also referred to as “skid resistance”), tire/pavement noise, evenness and surface drainage. These properties are relevant for driving safety, comfort and environmental aspects. Up to now, research in Germany has focused on monitoring these characteristics by tire/pavement noise and skid resistance measurements. However, the topography of surface textures has not been sufficiently investigated and evaluated until now. The development and availability of high-performance, hand-held 3D scanning systems during the last years enable measurements of the microtexture and macrotexture of concrete pavement surfaces at short measuring times and high resolution.
This paper shows the ability of modern laser-based technology to record three-dimensional data of different concrete pavement surface textures in situ. For this purpose, a special measuring frame has been developed. The presented results were primarily obtained within the framework of a research project commissioned by the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) and processed by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing. Various concrete pavement surface textures by means of diamond grinding and hybrid of diamond grinding and grooving were investigated in situ. In addition, exposed aggregate concretes (EAC), which were introduced as a standard type of concrete for motorway pavements in Germany in 2006, have been analyzed. Based on the gathered 3D data, evaluation routines for qualitative and quantitative analysis have been developed and applied. The aim was to derive the statistical parameters such as the relative and cumulative frequency distribution of the profile depth as well as the roughness coefficient for diamond ground pavements and EAC. Also, the “mean profile depth” (MPD) as a common texture-related parameter was determined.
Although concrete itself is not a combustible material, concrete mixtures with high density, such has high-performance concretes (HPCs), are susceptible to significant damage during fires due to explosive spalling. Past research has shown that the inclusion of polymer fibres in high density concrete can significantly mitigate this fire damage. The exact mechanisms causing this increased spalling resistance are not yet fully under-stood, but it is thought that the fibres facilitate moisture transport during fire exposure, which in turn contributes to relief of internal stresses in the spalling-susceptible region. In this study, X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was applied to observe the interaction between polymer fibres and cracking during thermal exposure. For this purpose, two concrete samples containing different polymer fibre types were subjected to incremental application of a defined thermal exposure. CT images were acquired before and after each thermal exposure and powerful image processing tools were used to segment the various material components. This enabled a detailed analysis of crack formation and propagation as well as the visualization and quantification of polymer fibre characteristics within the concrete. The results demonstrated that the orientation of both fibres and cracks in polymer-fibre reinforced concrete tend to be anisotropic. The results also indicated that crack geometry characteristics may be correlated with fibre orientation, with cracks tending to run parallel to fibre beds. Clear quantitative relationships were also observed between heating and increasing cracking levels, expressed in terms of both crack surface area and crack volume.
Although concrete itself is not a combustible material, concrete mixtures with high density, such has high-performance concretes (HPCs), are susceptible to significant damage during fires due to explosive spalling. Past research has shown that the inclusion ofpolymer fibres in high density concrete can significantly mitigate this fire damage. The exact mechanisms causing this increased spalling resistance are not yet fully understood, but it is thought that the fibres facilitate moisture transport during fire exposure, which in turn contributes to relief of internal stresses in the spalling-susceptible region. In this study, X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was applied to observe the interaction between polymer fibres and cracking during thermal exposure. For this purpose, two concrete samples containing different polymer fibre types were subjected to incremental application of a defined thermal exposure. CT images were acquired before and after each thermal exposure and powerful image processing tools were used to segment the various material components. This enabled a detailed analysis of crack formation and propagation as well as the visualization and quantification of polymer fibre characteristics within the concrete. The results demonstrated that the orientation of both fibres and cracks in polymerfibre reinforced concrete tend to be anisotropic. The results also indicated that crack geometry characteristics may be correlated with fibre orientation, with cracks tending to run parallel to fibre beds. Clear quantitative relationships were also observed between heating and increasing cracking levels, expressed in terms of both crack surface area and crack volume.
In this work, which is part of a larger research program, a framework called “virtual data fusion“ was developed to provide an automated and consistent crack detection method that allows for the cross-comparison of results from large quantities of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data. A partial implementation of this method in a custom program was developed for use in research focused on crack quantification in Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR)-sensitive concrete aggregates. During the CT image processing, a series of image analyses tailored for detecting specific, individual crack-like characteristics were completed. The results of these analyses were then “fused” in order to identify crack-like objects within the images with much higher accuracy than that yielded by any individual image analysis procedure. The results of this strategy demonstrated the success of the program in effectively identifying crack-like structures and quantifying characteristics, such as surface area and volume. The results demonstrated that the source of aggregate has a very significant impact on the amount of internal cracking, even when the mineralogical characteristics remain very similar. River gravels, for instance, were found to contain significantly higher levels of internal cracking than quarried stone aggregates of the same mineralogical type.
This paper describes a novel methodology for quantitative in-situ moisture measurement without tracking agents using X-ray computed tomography (XCT). The high levels of grey-scale precision required for the measurement of moisture without tracking agents resulted in the need for an additional image calibration procedure to correct for water-related X-ray scattering and for equipment-variability related artefacts arising during in-situ testing. This calibration procedure was developed on the basis of existing principles of XCT image cor-rection. Resulting images of moisture distribution exhibit a high level of agreement with expected material behaviour. This research demonstrated that XCT can be successfully used to measure both moisture-front movement over time and changes in 3D moisture distribution within samples. This approach to moisture measurement lays the groundwork for the planned future investigation of the interaction between cracking induced by varying chemical and mechanical processes and water transport in concrete.
Monitoring of fire damage processes in concrete by pore pressure and acoustic emission measurements
(2011)
This paper presents the combined use of acoustic emission (AE), gas pore pressure and temperature measurements (PT). The simultaneous application of both techniques represents a new methodology in the context of fire spalling and contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms of fire spalling, particular with regard to the interaction of micro cracking and pore pressure evolution. The study presents fire tests on normal strength concrete specimens with and without reinforcement at ISO Standard fire and at hydrocarbon (HC) fire. Supported by AE-analysis, it can be shown that due to the higher heating rate of the HC-fire in comparison to the ISO Standard fire the damage processes inside the concrete during the exposure are increased combined with augmenting the concrete permeability. As a consequence lower pore pressures were measured. However, despite the lower pore pressures, explosive spalling was observed.
The recommendation is based on the co-authors’ work organized by the RILEM TC 256-SPF “Spalling of concrete due to fire: testing and modelling”. It aims to provide useful information, guidance and best practices in fire spalling assessment to laboratories that perform large-scale tests based on fire resistance test standards. It provides guidance on the spalling observation techniques during testing, as well as post-test spalling quantification/assessment methods. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with the fire resistance test standards, e.g. EN 1363-1 and ISO 834-1.
Although concrete in general is a non-combustible material, the fire resistance of concrete structures depends, to a large extent, on the mechanical material behaviour. Fire tests have shown that SCC is often susceptible to explosive spalling due to fire exposure, in a similar manner to HPC. But there are hardly any studies available that report properties of specimens at high temperatures.
Though, concrete in general is a non-combustible building material, modern High Performance Concrete (HPC) is very susceptible to violent explosive spalling during a fire attack. This requires protective measures for fire safety design of concrete structures. The current most worthwhile method to prevent explosive spalling is the addition of monofilament Polypropylene fibres (PP-fibres). However, since it has become common knowledge that PP-fibres are suitable for fire safety design, a variety of theories concerning the mode of action of PP-fibres have been suggested. The present article summarizes the most important hypothesis and presents an innovative method for the analysis of micro structural processes in heated specimens. The results show that due to the thermal decomposition of PP-fibres capillary channels are created. Simultaneously, a netlike micro crack formation occurs, which connects these capillary channels. This enables the relief of internal stresses (mechanical effect) and the formation of a permeable transport system for the escaping water vapour (permeation effect).
It has been shown in fire tests that polypropylene fibres reduce or avoid explosive spalling of high performance concrete. In the critical temperature ränge up to 300 °C the permeability of HPC increases by using polypropylene fibre. Due to this the water vapour, which is the main reason for explosive spalling, can escape. There exist different theories in the literature conceming the micro structural mechanisms, which cause an increase in the permeability. Within the framework of an internal research project at BAM an innovative methodology was developed for experimental verifying of existing theories and to get new insights into this problem The methodology used is unique and has been undertaken here for the first time. This consists of the combination of acoustic emission and ultrasonic measurement during temperature loading and the non-destructive micro structural analysis of cooled down samples with the aid of micro X-ray computed tomography. For the validation of the nondestructive test methods scanning electron microscopic images of prepared samples were undertaken. The results show that due to the thermal decomposition of the polypropylene fibres micro canals emerge. These are connected due to a simultaneous micro cack formation.
Water migration in one-side heated concrete: 4D in-situ CT monitoring of the moisture-clog-effect
(2019)
Explosive spalling due to fire exposure in concrete structures can lead severe damage and, in the worst case, to premature component failure. For this reason, an in situ investigation of water Migration in concrete due to surface heating was undertaken.
During these experiments, a miniaturized concrete specimen within a confining and insulating double-hull was subjected to surface heating during simultaneous X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. Through the use of subtraction-based Image analysis techniques, it was possible to observe and quantify not only drying within areas of the concrete matrix close to the heated surface, but also the migration of moisture to both pore and matrix regions deeper within the specimen. It was also discovered that the correction of CT images for specimen deformation using DVC and variable detector performance using calibrated image filters significantly improved the quality of the results. This clearly demonstrates the potential of X-ray CT for evaluation of other rapid-density-change phenomena in concrete and other building materials.
According to the objectives of the research group 1498, this paper deals with degradation effects in concrete structures that are caused by cyclic flexural loading. The goal is to determine their influence on the fluid transport processes within the material on the basis of experimental results and numerical simulations. The overall question was, to which extent the ingress of externally supplied alkalis and subsequently an alkali-silica reaction are affected by such modifications in the microstructure. Degradation in the concrete microstructure is characterized by ultrasonic wave measurements as well as by microscopic crack analysis. Furthermore, experiments on the penetration behavior of water into the investigated materials were performed. The penetration behavior into predamaged concrete microstructures was examined by the classical Karsten tube experiment, nuclear magnetic resonance method, and time domain reflectometry techniques. In order to create an appropriate model of the material's degradation on the water transport, the Darcy law was applied to describe the flow in partially saturated concrete. Material degradation is taken into account by an effective permeability that is dependent on the state of degradation. This effective permeability is obtained by the micromechanical homogenisation of the flow in an Representative Elementary Volume (REV) with distributed ellipsoidal microcracks embedded in a porous medium. The data gained in the microscopic crack analysis is used as input for the micromechanical model. Finite element simulations for unsaturated flow using the micromechanical model were compared with the experimental results showing good qualitative and quantitative agreement.
The quantitative measurement of kind, positions and diameters of steel reinforce ments in building constructions is a typical inspection problem in civil engineering. A classical solution is the combination of film radiography with the multi angle technique and graphical backprojection. New digital detectors reduce the exposure time and allow the application of stereo radiography and computed laminography as routine applications.
The computed laminography allows fast and effectively the determination of the depth of reinforcements in concrete or masonry. A selected area of the steel re-bar structure is penetrated by gamma-rays from different angles of incidence (multi angle-technique) with a Co-60-source. Instead of a radiographic film phosphor imaging plates were used as a new digital medium for filmless radiography. A 3D-image of the measured region of interest is reconstructed from the digitised projections of a test block. The reconstruction is based on special tomosynthesis algorithms which need few projections only.
Radiographic techniques were uses in completion to other techniques like radar, electromagnetic alternating field inspection to examine the structure of different buildings. Experiences of inspections of historical buildings, ancient marble structures and a bridge girder are presented where different levels of radiography were applied.
The present study documents the results of an
inter-disciplinary model project that was planned with the
aim of developing an innovative winter covering system
for marble statuaries located on the Schlossbru¨cke (Berlin).
Such a system would need to fulfil the various requirements
for structural stability, aesthetics, climate and practical
use. This applied research represents the first complex
scientific study of the sustainability of a winter covering
system. The study is characterised by the use of complex
scientific instruments such as special laboratory analysis
and numerical simulation tools. The interaction between
the environment and the artefacts in connection with the
innovative winter covering structures were studied by
extensive climatic monitoring.
The long-term exposure of marble objects leads to a successive deterioration of the rock fabric and may cause severe damage on cultural heritage objects. The magnitude of disintegration depends on the rock fabric as well as on the climatic conditions. Some types of marble show no considerable damage even if they have been exposed in northern Europe for several decades or centuries. In contrast, other marble varieties are showing severe damage after a few years of weathering. The present study shows that marble decay, along with the initial thermal degradation, is mainly influenced by the hygric and thermo-hygric load, respectively.
The influence of the rock fabric on the resistivity against weathering is also documented. The factors causing marble decay were compared to extensive climate data, which were collected during a scientific project that was started with the aim to develop a covering system for marble sculptures in Berlin. Based on the hygrothermal material properties of the marble and on the climatic conditions, the heat and moisture Transport inside the material and hence the hygrothermal load changes were calculated with a high spatial resolution. The calculations showed that the temperature and moisture fluctuations inside the material are mainly controlled by the dimensions and orientation of the sculptural elements.
The current state of preservation was investigated by two-dimensional ultrasonic tomography. The results show a good correlation to the calculated distribution of the hygrothermal load. Based on this finding, requirements on a protective winter shelter system for the sculptures were defined.
The project results show that in addition to protective covers, regular inspection and maintenance combined with regular cleaning ensures an effective and sustainable protection of marble objects in northern Europe.
Thermally-induced moisture transport in high-performance concrete studied by X-ray-CT and 1H-NMR
(2019)
The thermohydraulic damage mechanism is one of the primary causes for explosive spalling of highperformance concrete. This paper presents the spatially- and temporally-resolved analysis of the thermally-induced moisture transport and reconfiguration processes by means of X-ray-CT and 1HNMR.
Thermal testing results for a high-performance concrete, which is sensitive to explosive spalling and which was prepared with and without added polypropylene fibres, are presented in this paper. These results indicate that the addition of fibres leads to a faster and deeper migration of the drying front and, thus, to a lower likelihood of vapour-pressure induced explosive spalling.
Unilateral thermal exposure of concrete building components induces moisture transport processes that have a significant influence on the spalling behaviour of dense high-strength concrete (HSC). These transport processes are based on evaporation and condensation mechanisms of liquid and gaseous water in the pores as well as the chemically bound water within the concrete. The low permeability of HSC and the formation of a saturated zone within building components (also known as a moisture clog) leads to high water-vapour pressures, which contributes to explosive spalling. The formation of these pressures has already been verified by means of pore-pressure measurement techniques. In addition, the redistribution of the moisture within concrete specimens subject to unilateral thermal exposure has been demonstrated on fractured surfaces. Investigations by means of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry technique and neutron radiography have shown one-dimensional changes in moisture distribution during thermal exposure.
However, none of these methods has been able to depict the moisture distribution in three dimensions (3D), so the link between pore size, concrete micro-structure and moisture content is missing. The research project presented in this paper aims to fill this gap by developing a new multi-level test methodology to characterise non-destructively the temporal course of spatial moisture distribution during unilateral thermal exposure. The procedure used during this programme included the collection of X-ray 3D-computed tomography (CT) measurements using a miniaturised specimen subjected to in-situ thermal exposure and the comparison of those CT results with the results of one-dimensional NMR-relaxometry before and after the heating process.
In the first step, a mobile heating device was developed, built and tested. To simulate a unilaterally-heated construction component, a cylindrical specimen made of HSC (Ø = 40 mm, L = 100 mm) was cast into an impermeable glass ceramic shell. The ceramic shell ensured a one-dimensional moisture flux and limited the thermal expansion of the concrete. An additional high-temperature wool (HTW) insulating shell ensured a one-dimensional heat flux. The heating device, which operated using infrared radiation (IR), allowed the unilateral heating of the specimens up to 300 °C using variable heating regimes.
In the second step, the mobile heating device was integrated into the CT-scanner, which enabled the collection of measurements before, during and after heating. By subtraction of successive 3D-CT images, X-ray attenuation differences could be resolved three-dimensionally in the specimen and interpreted as changes in the moisture content.
Initial results show that this test methodology can monitor the 3D changes of moisture content inside the specimen during thermal exposure. It enables the researcher to visualise areas with moisture accumulation as well as dehydrated areas inside the specimen. Comparative one-dimensional NMR-relaxometry measurements confirm the results of the CT image analysis.
A significant number of German concrete motorway pavements have shown damage only a few years after construction. The alkali-silica-reaction (ASR) is often one of the reasons for this damage. German guidelines and regulations focus on the optimisation of the concrete composition to avoid damage due to ASR. Moreover, diverse research projects have dealt with the development and optimisation of ASR performance test methods with and without external alkali supply. However, the influence of other parameters on the occurrence and intensity of a damaging ASR had not yet been taken into account. Such parameters include, e.g., insufficient curing and the modifications of concrete’s porosity due to the use of slip form pavers. Likewise, the increased traffic loading had not yet been considered. The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) assesses these parameters and processes in a number of projects. These projects aim primarily to increase the durability of the concrete pavements, in particular by improving preventive measures that may be taken before or after the construction of concrete pavements. This paper gives a short overview of BAM’s projects concerning ASR in concrete pavements. Furthermore, results regarding the influence of the cyclic traffic loading on ASR are presented.
The accelerated concrete prism test (ACPT-60 °C) facilitates testing of alkali-silica reactivity of aggregates within five months. Manual measurement is usually conducted to determine expansion of test specimen every 28 days. This conventional procedure gives only limited insight to expansion behaviour of ASR-affected prisms. Due to the large time intervals, expansion exceeding the critical value of 0.3 mm/m is likely to be noticed late. Continuous recording resolves this problem and delivers beneficial information on the shape of the expansion curve.
Displacement transducers integrated into a special testing equipment developed at BAM put continuous measurement into practice. Additionally, ultrasonic velocity and acoustic emissions are measured in-situ and provide deeper insights into hydration and crack formation processes during the test.
Aiming for an automated testing method close to the German guideline, the following technical and methodical challenges arise. Changing of the vertical orientation of the prisms with every manual measurement as standardised cannot be implemented. Furthermore, preliminary results already proved true that cooling and heating cycles, as necessarily associated with each manual measurement, can evoke additional expansion. Therefore, interrupted and continuously measured expansions reveal systematic differences, indicating the necessity to adjust the threshold expansion value for automated testing.
Results presented in the paper: Different types of reactive aggregate have been tested applying continuous and manual expansion measurement to the concrete specimens. Development of continuously measured ultrasonic velocity and acoustic emissions of the aggregates tested diverge significantly while the expansion curves vary in shape and maximum strain. Prisms produced from a slowly reacting aggregate do not exhibit noticeable crack formation. It shows that comprehensive measuring helps describing and distinguishing ASR-damage mechanisms.
Models of ASR-induced expansion, available in the open literature, so far are validated with discontinuous data hardly tracing the modelled curve. Continuous measurement improves validation and further model development.
In recent years the German highway network has seen an increase in the occurrence of damage in concrete road surfaces which can be attributed to the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). In view of the often drastic reduction in life expectancy experienced by concrete pavements due to ASR, research activity in this field has notably increased. Until now the main research focus has been, alongside preventative measures in concrete technology, the development of performance-oriented testing procedures for ASR prevention. This included more specifically the accelerated simulation of climatic effects and external alkali supply on concrete pavements. The effects of pre-damage from the additionally interacting cyclic traffic loading had previously not been taken into consideration.
Since 2011, a five-partner research group from the German Research Foundation has been pursuing research on the effects of simultaneous cyclic loading and external alkali supply on the destructive ASR in concrete pavements. The depiction of the myriad degradation and transport processes necessary for an understanding of these effects requires a close interaction between experiments and their multi-scale modelling. This contribution aims to focus on the aforementioned experiments by means of innovative testing techniques. The research is founded on a series of cyclic fatigue tests performed on large-format beams, both with and without previous application of a NaCl solution, with simultaneous tracking of crack development. Thereafter, smaller test specimens were extracted from the pre-damaged beams for further experiments. These included the spatial visualization and quantification of fatigue-induced cracks with X-ray 3D-computed tomography. Additionally, the effects of fatigue-induced cracks on moisture and alkali transport were investigated using 3D-CT and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Subsequent storage of the small-format test specimens, with and without cyclic pre-damage, in an ASR-conducive environment was then able to shed light on the influence of fatigue-induced pre-damage on the ASR.