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- 7 Bauwerkssicherheit (21) (entfernen)
Die vorstehend dargestellten Untersuchungen lassen sich wie folgt zusammenfassen:
• Mit dem für die mechanische Vorschädigung entwickelten Versuchsstand und gewählten Prüfregime können die für die ermüdungsinduzierte Schadensevolution typische stabilisierende und stabile Phase in der auf Zug beanspruchten Betonrandzone gut abgebildet werden. So wurde dort zum Beispiel, ausgehend von dem hier gewählten praxisnahen Belastungsregime, mit Ultraschall in der Ruhephase durch das Trockenschwingen ein maximaler Abfall des relativen dynamischen E-Moduls von ca. 8 - 10 % ermittelt.
• Mit aufbauenden kapillaren Aufsaugversuchen wurde gezeigt, dass die erzeugte Betondegradation zu einer moderaten Erhöhung der Aufnahme des Prüfmediums führt.
• Zur Bewertung der Auswirkungen einer alleinigen Vorschädigung (Trockenschwingen) auf die schädigende AKR mittels Performance-Prüfung ist die Klimawechsellagerung aufgrund der einseitigen Tausalzbeaufschlagung am besten geeignet. Die hier ermittelten Dehnungsverläufe lassen auf einen moderaten Einfluss der mechanischen Vorschädigung auf die AKR schließen.
• Die zusätzlich im Kontext der Nasschwingversuche durchgeführten 60°C Betonversuche zeigen, dass die zyklische Beanspruchung vor und nach dem Aufbringen der Tausalzlösung die schädigende AKR gleichfalls moderat erhöht.
In derzeit laufenden ergänzenden Untersuchungen wird der separate Einfluss der ermüdungsinduzierten Rissbildung auf die schädigende AKR an homogen, stärker geschädigten Prüfkörpern mit einem hohen inneren AKR-Schädigungspotenzial im 60°C Betonversuch grundhaft analysiert. Zusätzlich wird gegenwärtig der Einfluss der degradierten Betonrandzone auf die Dehnungsverteilung an großformatigen Prüfkörpern
über die Höhe im 40°C Betonversuch vertiefend für die makroskopische Modellierung untersucht.
If the amount of sulfate within the mix design for concrete is not balanced, ettringite formation which first controls solidification continues while the concrete is hardening. Ettringite forms by reaction of sulfate contained in the cement or in some admixture with calcium aluminate (C3A) as cement component. The “late primary ettringite formation” promotes an increase in volume within the hardened concrete leading to cracks. To analyze the effect of substituting part of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) by a treated brown coal fly ash mortar bars were tested according to ASTM C452. This test method was originally developed to extrapolate from the internal to external sulfate attack and is based on the idea that by testing a concrete mixture containing sulfate the process of deterioration is accelerated because it does not have to diffuse into the concrete before reaction first. In addition to the samples prescribed in ASTM C452 further samples in the size of the German SVA procedure were tested also designed for accessing the external sulfate resistance. The results show that while the replacement of 25 % of cement by brown coal fly ash leads to length changes around the limit defined by ASTM, the substitution of 50 % cement exceeded the limit by a multiple. The progress of expansion is the very similar for the two geometries tested. In-situ XRD measurements confirmed that while for pastes made of OPC the formation of ettringite is completed after 20 hours, this is not true for the mixtures containing the brown coal fly ash.
In a different study the effect of hydrothermal treatment on the phase composition of ultra-high-performance concrete was analyzed. The results show that the sulfate and aluminate resulting from the decomposition of ettringite are bound into new phases.
If this binding is permanent this might allow the larger use of sulfate bearing raw materials.
The advantages of treating prefabricated components made of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UCPC) at 90 °C are largely recognized, while hydrothermal treatment at 185 °C and the corresponding saturation pressure of 1.1 MPa, in contrast, is not applied in building practice so far and was studied only by a few researchers.
In the research presented, the parameters pre-storage-time before treatment and dwell time in the autoclave were systematically varied. The results illustrate in which way compressive strength increases with the duration of treatment. Already samples which were only heated up and immediately cooled down show an increase in strength compared to the 28-day reference of about 10 %. After 20 h the maximum increase of about 25 % is reached. Interestingly the compressive strength of samples treated very long hardly decreases. It can be therefore concluded that for the composition investigated the achievable mechanical strength is not severely sensitive regarding the duration of the treatment.
Also, pre-storage times before autoclaving longer than 0.5 days showed no significant impact on strength development.
The phase composition measured by XRD exhibits significant changes compared to the reference. The amount of ettringite and portlandite have vanished, the cement clinker phases are substantially decreased and hydroxylellestadite and hydrogarnet are formed as new phases. The increase in strength can be assigned to an improved pozzolanic and hydraulic reaction. Contradictory to literature, there was found no tobermorite, a mineral which is known to be susceptible for disintegration at Long autoclaving duration. This explains why no significant strength loss appeared.
By the combination of an optimized granulometry, a reduced water cement ratio and the use of superplasticizers ultra-high performance concrete achieves a compressive strength of over 150 N/mm2 and a high resistance regarding acids and water-soluble salts. In different Research projects the effect of an autoclavation on the mechanical strength and the phase composition was analyzed. In systematic studies, the concrete mix and the process parameters were varied.
The results show that autoclavation leads to an improved pozzolanic and hydraulic reaction and significantly improves the mechanical strength compared to a conventional thermal treatment. If a minimum time-span for hydration is ensured, the achievable strength level is not dependent on the prestorage time. However, the duration of the autoclaving is significant. After the Maximum strength is reached there is only a very slight decrease, even if unrealistically long autoclaving times are applied.
The low tensile strength of cement-based materials can be improved by the addition of fibres. In a joint research project, an industrial partner designed special coatings for polymer and carbon fibres by integrating surfactants and hydrophilic compounds. Aim of the developed functionalization was to ensure an even coverage of the fibre surfaces and to anchor them chemically in the cement-based matrix. Task of the BAM was to quantify the effect of the improved bond. In a first step a workable mortar adjusted to the strength of the tested fibres was developed and the fibre distribution assessed by light microscopy and computed tomography. To test the new coating for its efficiency to prevent cracking during hardening and to improve the loadbearing behaviour new test setups were developed or existing methods were adjusted.
The experiments showed that the functionalization leads to a reduction of the crack area measured after the exposure of the wet mortar to strong drying conditions in the wind channel. Regarding the Efficiency to mitigate shrinkage cracks the functionalisation turned out to be more efficient for fibres made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) than for carbon fibres. An improvement of the tensile strength after cracking of the cementitious matrix could only be documented for the coated carbon fibres. It could be quantified, however, only in the three-point bending tests because the fibres turned out to be too brittle for the applied single fibre pull-through test.
Die geringe Zugfestigkeit von zementgebundenen Materialien kann durch die Zugabe von Fasern maßgeblich verbessert werden. Ziel eines gemeinsamen Verbundprojekts mit einem Industriepartner war die Erhöhung der Leistungsfähigkeit von kurzen Polymer- und Carbonfasern durch eine Verbesserung des Verbundes zwischen Faseroberfläche und Zementsteinmatrix.
Von der IONYS AG wurde dazu eine spezielle Funktionalisierung entwickelt, die über eine Hydrophilisierung der Faseroberfläche eine chemische Anbindung an die Zementsteinmatrix gewährleistet. Aufgabe der BAM war es, die Effizienz der neuen Beschichtung bezüglich der Erhöhung der Nachrissbiegezugfestigkeit und der Reduzierung der Schwindrissbildung während der Erhärtungsphase zu quantifizieren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Funktionalisierung die Neigung zur Schwindrissbildung für die Carbonfasern und in noch stärkerem Maße für die Polymerfasern reduziert.
Eine Erhöhung der Nachrissbiegezugfestigkeit konnte dagegen nur für die deutlich steiferen Carbonfasern nachgewiesen werden.
Composite Facade Elements with Self-Cleaning Surface made of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC)
(2020)
In the framework of the European project H-House various concrete façade elements were developed with the aim to ensure a long service life by combining a very durable material with self-cleaning properties. The façade elements presented are made of a shell of UHPC filled with blocks of aerated autoclaved concrete as insulating material. Self-cleaning properties were realized amongst others by imprinting a microstructure into the surface during casting. The paper focuses on selected technological aspects of the manufacturing process of prototypes which had to be performed in two concreting sections. Furthermore the challenges faced when upscaling the self-cleaning properties are addressed and the strategy to assess the self-cleaning properties by measuring the contact and the roll-off angel is presented. The results show that a successfull upscalaing process requires detailed planning and that the best results can often be achieved with a moderate work effort or material use.
Composite UHPC facade elements with self-cleaning surface: Aspects of technological manufacturing
(2020)
In the framework of the European collaborative project H-House, which was finished in 2017, large façade elements were developed consisting of a box shaped external shell of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with a functionalized surface and an insulation of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). The exposed concrete of the elements was further refined by adding self-cleaning properties to the surface through imprinting a microstructure in combination with chemical agents directly in the casting process. The paper focuses on selected technological aspects of the manufacturing process of large-scale prototypes. Presented are results of the upscaling process of functionalized surfaces from small specimen up to large UHPC composite facade elements produced for the construction of a demonstrator.
Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) is characterised by its high compressive strength of more than 150 MPa and its high durability. Due to thermal treatment at 90°C a strength comparable to the 28-days-strength can be achieved immediately after the treatment and in some cases can be even further increased up to 30 %. The explanations for the increase in strength are the accelerated hydration of the clinker minerals and the intensified pozzolanic reaction contributing to a denser microstructure and hence, a high performance in compressive strength.
Former research shows that thermal treatment can lead to inhomogeneities in form of a visible zonation within the cross-section. The width of the margin increases with shorter pre-storage time before the thermal treatment and with omitting protective measures against desiccation during the treatment. Specimens exhibiting a zonation typically show a lower compressive strength compared to the undisturbed reference whereas changes in chemistry, mineral content and microstructure were not reported in detail.
In this study the zonation of thermally treated UHPC is investigated with respect to its chemistry, mineral composition and microstructure to allow predictions on durability and strength development. Measurements show a change in pore sizes, minerals phase composition and element distribution leading to the visible zonation and weaker bending tensile strength compared to the reference.
Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) is known for its high compressive strength of more than 150 MPa and its high durability. Thermal treatment at 90°C can accelerate the strength development so that the 28-days-strength can be achieved immediately after the treatment and an additional increase up to 30 % in some cases. The reason for the strength development is an accelerated hydration of the clinker minerals and an intensified pozzolanic reaction leading to a denser microstructure.
In previous research inhomogeneities in form of a zonation after unprotected thermal treatment were observed and analysed in respect to changes in the microstructure. This zonation is defined by a different microstructure in the core compared to the outer zone in the matter of porosity, mineral phase composition and a significant change in the potassium and sulphur concentration of the zones is measurable.
To isolate different transport mechanisms responsible for these element distributions UHPC samples were thermally treated at 90 °C and the microstructure was investigated under dry conditions and after immersion in water to investigate the influence of dehydration during and rehydration after the thermal treatment on the microstructure. Through durability testing via water absorption, water vapour diffusion, permeability testing and sulfuric acid resistance transport mechanisms like diffusion, migration, capillary suction are under investigation in correlation with the microstructure analysis. For the microstructure analysis measurements with µXRF, mercury intrusion porosity, XRD and SEM were conducted.
The adaption of the set-up for gas permeability measurements for ultra-high performance concrete
(2022)
In the framework of this project, a steam pressure vessel was to be developed from ultra-high perfor-mance concrete (UHPC) to withstand process temperatures of 200 °C and the respective steam pressure of 15,5 bar. To guarantee the long-term water vapour tightness of the system, the permeability of two UHPC mixtures were tested after long-term cyclic autoclaving. As UPHC shows a high density and therefore low permeability, measurements after the RILEM-Recommendation (TC 116-PCD) reached their detection limit. Therefore, the measurement set-up was adapted to measure the permeability of highly dense UHPC more reliably and quickly. This adaption includes measurements in a higher pres-sure range, the change of sample size thickness and the usage of Ar as a medium compared with the RILEM Recommendation. Additionally, the system was equipped with two pressure sensors and Ar-flowmeters to guarantee a continuous record of the experimental parameters. The new system was tested and evaluated by comparing measurements with the RILEM recommended system. Preliminary results show that the adapted system is capable to provide efficient and reliable results of concrete with low permeability.
Composition and microstructure stability of cement compound under cyclic hydrothermal condition
(2020)
There have been many researches focused on the performance improvement of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) by autoclaving treatment. The goal of autoclaving is to increase the pozzolanic reaction, and to densify the cement stone and the transition zone which originates from the incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as silica fume, fly ash and blast furnace slag. Due to the superior properties, UHPC can also be utilized under high mechanical load and aggressive condition, for example, the fabrication of water tanks for thermal storage which is of great significance for saving energy and reducing CO2 emission. It is known that mineral stability of the hydration products of an inorganic binder is highly related to the temperature and pressure of the environment. A certain stable composition at room temperature, however, may undergo a phase transformation at high temperature and the performance decrease under this severe condition will generally be more severe. In this way, the rationale behind this deterioration under long-term hydrothermal condition involving many cycles and long duration has to be clarified, and then appropriate optimizing methods will be performed in order to obtain a kind of construction with high durability under aggressive environment. For this purpose, different types and amounts of SCMs are introduced into the standard mixture of UHPC and the phase compositions after autoclaving at 200 °C and 15.5 bar are determined by combined X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. Mercury intrusion porosimeter is used to characterise the microstructure of the samples. In order to establish the relationship between microstructure and macroscopic properties, compressive and flexural strength are also investigated.
UHPC (engl. ultra-high-performance concrete) bietet außergewöhnliche Eigenschaften, die sich durch eine optimierte Wärmebehandlung weiter verbessern lassen. Wie bei normalen Beton beschleunigt eine Wärmebehandlung den Aushärteprozess und reduziert das Schrumpfen. Durch Ausbildung eines dichteren Gefüges wird weiterhin die Druckfestigkeit und die Resistenz gegenüber Umwelteinflüssen erhöht.
Die Art der Wärmebehandlung wird durch die Parameter: Temperatur, Druck, Wasserdampfsättigung und Dauer definiert und hat einen entscheiden Einfluss auf die Phasenentwicklung und damit auf die makro- und mikroskopischen Eigenschaften des UHPCs. Auch die Dauer und Art der Vorlagerung des UHPCs vor der thermischen Behandlung sind von Bedeutung.
Ziel der vorgestellten Untersuchung war der Vergleich und die Optimierung verschiedener Wärmebehandlungsarten mit Blick auf die Druckfestigkeits- und Phasenentwicklung. Dafür wurden UHPC-Zylinder und Prismen hergestellt und ungeschützt bzw. in Folie eingeschweißt bei 90 °C im Ofen, im Heißwasserbad, sowie alternativ bei 185 °C und 1.1 MPa im Autoklaven wärmebehandelt. Zusätzlich wurde die Vorlagerungs- und die Behandlungszeit systematisch variiert.
Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass eine praxisnahe Wärmebehandlung im Ofen (kurze Vorlagerungs- und Behandlungszeit, Verdunstungsschutz durch Einschweißen in Folie) zwar zu einer stark erhöhten Frühfestigkeit führt, aber die Langzeitfestigkeit wird nicht signifikant erhöht. Erst längere Behandlungszeiten verbunden mit intensiviertem Schutz gegen das Austrocknen führen darüber hinaus zu deutlich erhöhten Langzeitfestigkeiten. Nach der Autoklavierung dagegen wurden Festigkeitszuwächse von bis zu 30 % gemessen.
Die röntgenographisch nachgewiesene Phasenentwicklung wird in beiden Behandlungsarten durch die Limitierung des zur Verfügung stehenden Wassers bestimmt. Bei der Wärmebehandlung im Ofen wird das durch den Ettringitzerfall freigesetzte Wasser für die puzzolanische Reaktion der Mikrosilika verbraucht, reicht aber für eine weitere Reaktion der Klinkerphasen nicht aus. Bei der hydrothermalen Behandlung dagegen zeigen die Veränderungen im Phasenbestand sowohl eine Intensivierung der puzzolanischen als auch der hydraulischen Reaktion. Der für autoklavierte Baustoffe charakteristische Tobermorit konnte jedoch nicht im Probeninneren, sondern nur als Belag auf der Probenoberfläche nachgewiesen werden. Ursächlich hierfür ist vermutlich wiederum das zu geringe Wasserangebot im Gefüge des UHPC.
Im Gegensatz zur Druckfestigkeit weisen zementgebundene Werkstoffe i. a. nur geringe Zugfestigkeiten auf. Ein Weg, Zugfestigkeiten zementgebundener Werkstoffe zu erhöhen und Rissbildung aufgrund von Zugspannungen zu verringern, besteht in der Einarbeitung von Fasern, die diese Spannungen aufnehmen. Häufig eingesetzt werden Stahlfasern, obwohl synthetische Polymerfasern leichter und meist beständiger gegenüber chemischen Angriffen und Korrosion sind. Die Polymerfasern zeigen allerdings meist einen deutlich schwächeren Haftverbund, was an der hydrophoben Faseroberfläche liegt. Um nun eine Anbindung der Fasern an die mineralische Matrix zu erreichen, müssen die Faseroberflächen modifiziert werden, ohne dass die mechanischen Eigenschaften negativ beeinflusst werden. Eine Herausforderung besteht somit in einer Oberflächenmodifikation durch eine schonende Behandlung der Fasern zur Erzeugung von anbindungsfähigen Gruppen. Durch eine Behandlung von modifizierten Fasern mit geeigneten Polymerlösungen werden die Oberflächeneigenschaften verändert und erlauben eine Anbindung an die Zementsteinmatrix. Der Einsatz von Tensiden als grenzflächenaktive Verbindungen ermöglicht in diesem Zusammenhang eine Vermittlung zwischen Polymeroberflächen und mineralischen Werkstoffen.
The aim of this study was to develop a lightweight composite facade element for new buildings and for the refurbishment of existing facades. These composite elements have been developed combining an insulation layer of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) with an external ultrahighperformance concrete (UHPC) supporting layer. This solution allows avoiding the use of connectors and facilitates the production procedure. The structural behavior of the facade elements is mainly influenced by the presence of the upturning edges that are able to increase the stiffness of the element and reduce the thickness of the external layer. The insulation material has no influence on the structural behavior of the UHPC boxes. Flexural tests were carried out to investigate a potential detachment of the external layer from the upturning edge. The photogrammetric Analysis used during the flexural tests essentially confirmed that the bond between the two UHPC layers cast in two steps is reliable. The quality of the bond between the external layer and the upturning edge is a key parameter to define the bearing capacity of the element.
Die sprunghaft zunehmende Wichtigkeit von FAIR- und Open-Data für die Qualitätssicherung, aber auch für die Nachnutzbarkeit von Daten und den Erkenntnisfortschritt führt zu enormem Flandlungsbedarf in Forschung und Entwicklung. Damit verbunden laufen derzeit vielfältige, ambitionierte Aktionen, z. B. bezüglich der Erstellung von Ontologien und Wissensgraphen. Das Knowhow entwickelt sich rasant, die Ansätze zur Implementation entstehen in verschiedenen Fachwelten bzw. mit
unterschiedlichen Zielsetzungen parallel, so dass recht heterogene Herangehensweisen resultieren.
Diese Veröffentlichung fokussiert auf Arbeiten, die derzeit als möglichst ganzheitlicher Ansatz für Materialdaten im Rahmen der Digitalisierungsinitiative „Plattform MaterialDigital" vorangetrieben werden. Die Autoren bearbeiten baustoffbezogene Aspekte im Verbundprojekt „LeBeDigital - Lebenszyklus von Beton". Zielsetzung ist die digitale Beschreibung des Materialverhaltens von Beton über den kompletten Herstellungsprozess eines Fertigteils mit einer Integration von Daten und Modellen innerhalb eines Workflows zur probabilistischen Material- und Prozessoptimierung.
Es wird über die Vorgehensweise und die dabei gewonnenen Erfahrungen berichtet, nicht ohne den Blick auf die oft unterschätzte Komplexität der Thematik zu lenken.
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.
ln most of the ASR-test procedures, the expansion of concrete or mortar specimens is used as an indicator to assess the ASR-potential of an aggregate or a specific concrete mix. For these tests, the specimens are stored in an ASR-provoking environment, where the reaction is accelerated by elevated temperature and humidity. To measure the length change, the storage must be interrupted for at least a few minutes. Düring the 60 °C Concrete Prism Test (60 °C-CPT), the specimens are cooled down to 20 °C for 24 hours, to ensure the same hygrothermal conditions for every measurement. This limits the number of measurements during the test period and may lead to additional effects, that probably influence the expansion development.
With a recently developed device, it is possible to continuously monitor the expansion ofprisms without interrupting the ASR-provoking storage. Due to the dense database of this automated test, the results can contribute to a better understanding of the ASR-process. This study compares results of the automated and conventional 60 °C-CPT. Tests of different aggregates showed, that the results of the automated and conventional test are consistent, but the expansions during the conventional test are generally higher. Preliminary results led to the conclusion, that the cooling for the measurements leads to additional expansions. Therefore, a modified threshold should be discussed for the automated 60 °C-CPT.
Even after autoclaving for 2 weeks in the temperature range of 120 to 200 °C, CEM I paste with a water-to-cement ratio of 0.5 still contains some low-crystalline C-S-H. The conversion of low-crystalline C-S-H to crystalline is faster with increasing temperature. The observed low-crystalline and crystalline C-S-H phases (reinhardbraunsite, jaffeite) indicate that the sampleshave not reached equilibrium yet under these experimental conditions. However, there is a good agreement between experiment and thermodynamic modelling for the other solids indicating that the used datasets are suitable for this application.
Severe mechanical fatigue conditions for worldwide proliferating windfarms are a Major challenge for high-performance concrete in towers, connecting joints and foundations of wind turbines. High-performance concrete offers potential for the application in offshore windfarms, not only regarding its good mechanical, but also chemical resistivity due to low diffusivity in the highly densified microstructure. For a more reliable fatigue assessment, monitoring based on nondestructive testing can be a valuable complement to design rules. Both approaches demand reliable experimental data, information about scalability and the development of standardized testing methods. This article presents results of an ongoing research program of BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung), which is a part of a joint national project (WinConFat) funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The subproject implemented by BAM examines the fatigue behavior in dependence of size and slenderness for varying concrete strength at different stress levels. Besides fatigue strength, nondestructive testing is carried out additionally.
Methods used are strain measurement and ultrasonic testing. The change of strain, stiffness and ultrasonic pulse velocity in the fatigue process is discussed. Results disclose a deeper insight into the damage process under cyclic loading of high-performance concrete and contribute to improve nondestructive monitoring.
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.