Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
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- Accelerated concrete prism test (2)
- Fatigue (2)
- High-strength concrete (2)
- Non-destructive testing (2)
- Ultrasonic testing (2)
- 60 °C-CPT (1)
- ASR expansion monitoring (1)
- ASR modelling (1)
- Accelerated testing (1)
- Acoustic emission testing (1)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a chemical reaction within concrete which can lead over time to cracking and spalling. Due to the complexity of the problem, it still causes damage to concrete constructions worldwide.
The publication aims to illustrate the interdisciplinary research of the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) within the last 20 years, considering all aspects of ASR topics from the macro to the micro level. First, methods for characterization and assessment of ASR risks and reaction products used at BAM are explained and classified in the international context. Subsequently the added value of the research approach by combining different, preferably nondestructive, methods across all scales is explained using specific examples from a variety of research projects. Aspects covered range from the development of new test-setups to assess aggregate reactivity, to analysis of microstructure and reaction products using microscopical, spectroscopical and X-ray methods, to the development of a testing methodology for existing concrete pavements including in-depth analysis of the visual damage indicator and the de-icing salt input using innovative testing techniques. Finally, research regarding a novel avoidance strategy that makes use of internal hydrophobization of the concrete mix is presented.
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.
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.
The worldwide spread of windfarms brings new challenges, especially for concrete structures as a part of towers, connecting joints and foundations of wind turbines. High-cyclic loadings in such structures lead to a high relevance of the subject of fatigue. A proper assessment of the fatigue strength of concrete demands therefore a basis of reliable experimental data and the development of standardized testing methods. This article presents first results of an ongoing research program of BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung) which is a part of a joint project (WinConFat) funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The subproject investigates the effects of size and slenderness of the specimens on the fatigue behaviour of high strength concrete at different stress levels. Not only the fatigue strength, but also the fatigue process itself is monitored by means of several measurement methods. Strain measurements are used to calculate the load dependent elastic modulus in the fatigue hysteresis as indicators for fatigue development. Furthermore, the application of non-destructive methods like acoustic emission analysis and ultrasonic measurement in laboratory tests gives a deeper insight into damage processes under cyclic loading. The results shall be used to improve design rules for concrete members under fatigue load and to develop or improve non-destructive techniques for in-service structural health monitoring.
The susceptibility of concrete structures due to alkali–silica reaction (ASR) can be assessed by means of ASR concrete prism testing at 60 °C, according to RILEM AAR 4.1. There, expansion of concrete prisms indicates alkali-reactivity of the examined concrete mix. This work applies in situ expansion measurement to accelerated concrete prism testing. Automated measuring facilitates both storage without the usually necessary interruptions for manual measurement and acquisition of quasi-continuousexpansion data. A comparative experimental programme showed that conventional testing resulted in stronger expansion and leaching of alkalis than automated testing. Experimental simulation of interruptions, typically associated with manual measurements in conventional testing, could prove the influence of these cooling–heating cycles. Two phenomenological approaches, frequently used for describing reaction kinetics of ASR by linking it to expansion results from ASR-testing, were validated with continuous expansion data of three types of aggregate. Experimental expansion depicted s-shaped curves similar to them of the modelling approaches. However, strong swelling recorded in the beginning of the test was not covered by the model curves. Auxiliary measurement of acoustic emissions and ultrasonic velocity helped characterising mechanisms such as hydration and cracking, which also influence prism expansion. The proposed modification of the measurement procedure provides an extended basis to analyse expansion mechanisms. Regarding data for validation of ASR-expansion models, continuous expansion results are preferable to conventional test results.
Severe fires at the Friedrichshain flak bunker in May 1945 destroyed or severely damaged an important part of the collection of the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, Berlin, today’s Bode Museum. Fragments of two marble sculptures by Tullio Lombardo, sculptor of the Italian renaissance, have survived and are now stored in the Bode Museum. In preparation for restoration, the condition of the sculptures has been documented in detail in 2010. The study revealed that the fragments are not stable enough to exhibit them in a horizontal nor in an upright position. The intention of a further study in 2012 was to find a correlation between ultrasonic velocity and mechanical properties of burned Carrara marble as a basis for stabilization measures. The results and numerous supplementary experiments show that the current condition of the sculptural fragments can not only be explained by the exposure to fire.
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 motorway network has seen an increase in the occurrence of damage to concrete road surfaces which can be attributed to the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). In view of the often drastically reduced life expectancy of road surfaces due to ASR, research activity in this field has notably increased. Alongside preventative measures in concrete technology, the main research focus up to now has been the development of performance-oriented testing procedures for ASR prevention. This included more specifically the accelerated simulation of climatic effects and external alkali penetration on road surfaces. The effects of mechanical pre-damage resulting from cyclic traffic loading and climatic impact had previously not been taken into consideration. Since 2011, the five-partner research group 1498 sponsored by the German Research Foundation (DFG) has been pursuing research on how simultaneous cyclic loading and external alkali penetration impacts destructive ASR in road surface concretes. The depiction of the myriad degradation and transport processes necessary for an understanding of these effects requires close interaction between experiments and their multi-scale modelling. This paper 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 sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, with simultaneous tracking of crack development. Subsequently, smaller test specimens were extracted from the pre-damaged beams for further experiments. These included the spatial visualization and quantification of fatigue-induced cracks using micro X-ray 3D-computed tomography (3D-CT). Additionally, the effects of fatigue-induced cracks on alkali transport were investigated using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Subsequent storage of the small-format test specimens, with and without cyclic pre-damage, in an ASR-conducive environment then provided initial findings on the influence of fatigue-induced predamage on the ASR.
Self-compacting concrete typically contains a higher content of powder materials than normal concrete. Furthermore it is assumed that the use of superplasticizers yields a more homogenous microstructure in the hardened paste. Both aspects generate a very dense microstructure, which can be assumed to cause material behaviour that differs from than normal concrete when it is exposed to elevated temperatures. However, the paste volumes in SCC can vary significantly based on the mixture composition. At a low paste volumes SCC can be very similar to normal concrete at hardened state while it can vary greatly at higher paste volumes. Since the high temperature behaviour of concrete is strongly affected by the different physical behaviour of the paste and the aggregates, it is likely that the high temperature behaviour is consequently strongly affected by the ratio of these mixture components. In the present study different SCC mixtures were observed with similar mechanical properties, but with significantly differing paste to aggregate ratios. Based on observations of the heat evolution at the fire exposed surface and at different depths inside the specimens as well as based on photogrammetric observations of the spalled dimensions, the results indicate that with increasing paste volumes the heat conductivity is reduced and as a result concrete with higher paste to aggregate ratios shows less spalling.