Loss of freeze–thaw durability of concrete containing accelerating admixtures

1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-613
Author(s):  
D. Stott ◽  
T. Rezansoff ◽  
B. F. Sparling

Rapid freeze–thaw durability tests on air entrained concrete mixes containing a proprietary nonchloride accelerating admixture or CaCl2 show that although early age compressive strength acceleration is achieved, the freeze-thaw durability is reduced when compared with the durability of control concretes of similar mix proportions, but without accelerating admixtures. Although the compressive strength gains were accelerated in mixes containing either the proprietary accelerating admixture or CaCl2, the tensile strengths at 28 days were similar for mixes with and without the admixtures.Petrographic analyses showed air contents and air void spacing factors in concretes with accelerating admixtures, either nonchloride or CaCl2, to be similar to the air systems in the control concrete, though more air entraining agent was required with the mixes containing accelerating admixtures. Local aggregates as well as aggregates from three alternate sources were used. Test results did not show any significant differences in durability on the basis of aggregate source.As the larger reduction measured in freeze–thaw durability for concrete mixes containing either chloride or nonchloride accelerating admixtures could not be attributed to either a deficient air void system in the cured concrete or inferior aggregate, it is believed that the cause is some characteristic or a hydration product in the cement paste microstructure produced by accelerated hydration. Key words: concrete, durability, freeze–thaw testing, strength acceleration, admixtures, air void system.

1988 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-314
Author(s):  
Gaston Larose ◽  
Michel Pigeon

The durability of concrete to freeze-thaw cycles is dependent upon the existence of an adequate air-void system. There are very few studies on the air-void system of field concretes. Laboratory tests have proven that the air content measurement on the fresh concrete is not sufficient to judge the aptitude of the air-void system to protect the concrete from frost damage.This paper is a comparison of the air-void systems of field concretes produced in either a conventional plant or a mobile unit the use of which is becoming more and more frequent. The concretes produced in the conventional plant generally had sufficient air-void systems for air contents in the usual range (5–7%). The mobile unit showed that a slightly higher air content (8%) was needed to produce an adequate air-void system. Key words: concrete, mobile concrete-mixer, air-void systems, air-entraining agent, spacing factor, surface area, air content.


1990 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. W. Langan ◽  
R. C. Joshi ◽  
M. A. Ward

Results are presented from an investigation on the compressive strength and durability of concretes containing substitute materials at a 50% replacement level (by mass) of Portland cement. Seven fly ashes (sub-bituminous, bituminous, and lignitic), together with limestone and an inert material (silica flour), were used as replacement materials. Durability studies included freeze–thaw testing (ASTM C666A), scaling resistance (ASTM C672), and abrasion resistance (ASTM C944). The air void system was assessed using the modified point count method of ASTM C457. The results indicate that although concretes with a 50% replacement level of cementitious material did not perform as well as the control concretes with no replacement, such concretes were able to meet minimum durability requirements. As anticipated, air-entrainment is the overriding factor that allows concrete to meet freeze–thaw durability requirements. In the context of this study, compressive strength does not appear to be a significant factor in freeze–thaw durability. Results indicated that concretes with compressive strengths of less than 10 MPa will still pass the freeze–thaw test, provided an adequate air void system is in place. Abrasion resistance tends to increase with compressive strength but not in all the cases. Key words: concrete, fly ash, compressive strength, durability, mineral admixtures.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Marija Krstic ◽  
Julio F. Davalos ◽  
Emanuele Rossi ◽  
Stefan C. Figueiredo ◽  
Oguzhan Copuroglu

Recent studies have shown promising potential for using Glass Pozzolan (GP) as an alternative supplementary cementitious material (SCM) due to the scarcity of fly ash and slag in the United States. However, comprehensive studies on the freeze–thaw (FT) resistance and air void system of mixtures containing GP are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate GP’s effect on FT resistance and characterize mixtures with different GP contents, both macro- and microscopically. In this study, six concrete mixes were considered: Three mixes with 20%, 30% and 40% GP as cement replacements and two other comparable mixes with 30% fly ash and 40% slag, as well as a mix with 100% Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as a reference. Concrete samples were prepared, cured and tested according to the ASTM standards for accelerated FT resistance for 1000 cycles and corresponding dynamic modulus of elasticity (Ed). All the samples showed minimal deterioration and scaling and high F/T resistance with a durability factor of over 90%. The relationships among FT resistance parameters, air-pressured method measurements of fresh concretes and air void analysis parameters of hardened concretes were examined in this study. X-ray micro-tomography (micro-CT scan) was used to evaluate micro-cracks development after 1000 freeze–thaw cycles and to determine spatial parameters of air voids in the concretes. Pore structure properties obtained from mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and N2 adsorption method showed refined pore structure for higher cement replacement with GP, indicating more gel formation (C-S-H) which was verified by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).


2013 ◽  
Vol 651 ◽  
pp. 245-250
Author(s):  
Tasi Lung Weng ◽  
Wei Ting Lin

The effect of penetrating sealer on the structure of surface pore, mechanical properties, and durability of cement-based composites was studied. Concrete specimens with various water/cement ratios (w/c=0.35, 0.45, 0.55) were cast and treated surfaced with various amounts of penetrating sealer at different ages. The effect of penetrating sealer on the mechanical properties of concrete was assessed by compressive strength. And, the rapid chloride permeability was also explored to test concrete durability. Test results indicate that the application of penetrating sealer significantly improves concrete compressive strength and chloride resistance. By using scanning electron microscopes observation, the penetrating depth of penetrating sealer can be determined and is about 2 cm. The penetrating sealer in this study may be categorized as deep penetrating sealer.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanbing Liu ◽  
Guobao Luo ◽  
Longhui Wang ◽  
Yafeng Gong

Pervious concretes, as sustainable pavement materials, have great advantages in addressing a number of environmental issues. Fly ash, as the industrial by-product waste, is the most commonly used as cement substitute in concrete. The objective of this paper is to study the effects of waste fly ash on properties of pervious concrete. Fly ash was used to replace cement with equivalent volume method at different levels (3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%). The control pervious concrete and fly ash modified pervious concrete were prepared in the laboratory. The porosity, permeability, compressive strength, flexural strength, and freeze–thaw resistance of all mixtures were tested. The results indicated that the addition of fly ash decreased the early-age (28 d) compressive strength and flexural strength, but the long-term (150 d) compressive strength and flexural strength of fly ash modified pervious concrete were higher than that of the early-age. The adverse effect of fly ash on freeze–thaw resistance of pervious concrete was observed when the fly ash was added. The porosity and permeability of all pervious concrete mixtures changed little with the content of fly ash due to the use of equal volume replacement method. Although fly ash is not positive to the properties of pervious concrete, it is still feasible to apply fly ash as a substitute for cement in pervious concrete.


Author(s):  
Balázs Czinder ◽  
Ákos Török

Abstract Aggregates are necessary materials for the construction industry. Owing to their favourable properties, andesites are frequently used rock materials; hence, the investigation of their mechanical and aggregate properties has great significance. This paper introduces the analyses of 13 Hungarian andesite lithotypes. The samples were collected from six andesite quarries in Hungary. Cylindrical specimens and aggregate samples with 10.0/14.0-mm-sized grains were made from rock blocks. The specimens were tested in dry, water-saturated and freeze–thaw subjected conditions. Bulk density, uniaxial compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, indirect tensile strength and water absorption were measured. The abrasion resistance was tested by micro-Deval tests. The flakiness indexes of the samples were also measured. The data set of the laboratory test results provided input for further, one- and two-variable statistical analyses. According to the test results, there is no significant difference between the strength parameters measured in water-saturated and in freeze–thaw subjected conditions. The correlation and regression analyses revealed relationships between some rock mechanical parameters, as well as between micro-Deval coefficient and uniaxial compressive strength.


Author(s):  
M. Lessard ◽  
M. Baalbaki ◽  
P.-C. Aïtcin

The stability of the air content of concrete during pumping has been the subject of a number of recent investigations. Because increasing volumes of concrete are placed with the aid of pumps and the durability of such concrete to freezing and thawing (ASTM C666) as well as the scaling resistance (ASTM C672) preoccupy engineers, a study concerning the stability of the air-void system of a concrete with 45 to 50 MPa compressive strength was carried out. The slump of the three tested concretes ranged between 85 and 115 mm. Three pumping setups were studied. In the first, the concrete was pumped horizontally; in the second the concrete was pumped upward and then downward. In the third, the vertical setup was used but a reduced section was placed at the end of the pump line, and the concrete was allowed to free fall a short distance. For each pump setup, the concrete was sampled before being placed in the pump and after leaving the pump. The results clearly show that when the concrete is pumped horizontally, the spacing factor (L) and the specific surface of the air-void system are barely altered. On the other hand, after pumping the concrete vertically without a reduced end section, it was impossible to obtain an L less than 230 μm, the maximum spacing factor allowed by Canadian standards (CSA A23.1) to ensure good frost durability. Furthermore, the specific surface of the air bubbles fell to 20 mm−1, which is inferior to the 25-mm−1 value recommended in Canadian standards. By placing a reduced section at the end of the vertical pump line, it was possible to enhance the air-void system but that procedure still fell short of ensuring a system that satisfies the air-void system recommended by Canadian standards to ensure proper frost durability. Although the pumped concrete mixtures did not always satisfy the requirements of CSA A23.1 regarding air-void systems, they satisfied the requirements of ASTM C666 (Procedure A) for resistance to freeze-thaw cycles. Freeze-thaw resistance in the presence of deicing salts was evaluated according to ASTM C672. After 50 frost cycles, all but one concrete exhibited mass losses that were lower than the maximum permissible limit of 0.50 kg/m2 required by BNQ 2621-900, the standard currently enforced in the province of Quebec. Placing a reduced section at the end of the pump line creates a light counterpressure in the descending section of the pump line, which allows the conservation of an acceptable air-void system. Considering the appreciable improvement in the preservation of air-void characteristics when a reduced section was placed at the end of the pump line, it was decided to proceed with further experimental work using four 90-degree elbows placed at the end of the vertically hanging pump line.


2010 ◽  
Vol 158 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Qiao Jin ◽  
Xian Jun Lu ◽  
Shu Gang Hu

In order to stimulate the potential cementitious property of granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), the ground GBFS sample (Wei Fang Iron and Steel Corporation, China) was activated by lime and gypsum under different dosages. The results showed that lime is an effective activator for the slag, and the optimum dosage of lime is about 10% (w/w) of the slag. At the optimum dosage of lime, the 28 days compressive strength of the lime-slag paste is higher than that of 32.5 ordinary Portland cement (OPC). But, the early age strength (3 and 7 days compressive strength) of the lime-slag paste is lower than that of the OPC. Addition of gypsum can effectively improve the early age strength of the lime-slag paste. At the ratio of gypsum:lime:slag of 8.2:9.2:82.6 (w/w), both the early and long-term compressive strengths of the gypsum-lime-slag paste are higher than that of the OPC. According to XRD, TG-DTA and SEM detections of the hydration products of the lime-slag paste, the gypsum-lime-slag paste and the OPC paste, it reveals that the hydration process of the GBFS-based cementitious material is different from the ordinary Portland cement and the presence of ettringite (AFt) contributes to the early age strength of the pastes. The major hydration product of the OPC paste (<7 days) were measured as ettringite (AFt), but the AFt phase was not detected in the hydration product of the lime-slag paste and the major hydration product of the lime-slag paste was determined as amorphous CSH gel. However, AFt was detected in the hydration products of the gypsum-lime-slag paste in the early stages of hydration, and the formation of AFt is favorable for the early strength improvement of the material.


Author(s):  
Aref Shafiei Dastgerdi ◽  
Kyle Riding ◽  
Robert J. Peterman ◽  
B. Terry Beck

As an important element in track, pre-stressed concrete railroad ties in the high-speed rail industry must meet the safety and performance specifications of high-speed trains. Systematic destructive and non-destructive evaluation of existing concrete ties can lead to a better understanding of the effect of prestressed concrete tie material design on performance and failure within their service life. It has been evident that environmental and climate conditions also have a significant impact on concrete railroad ties, causing various forms of deterioration such as abrasion and freeze-thaw damage. Understanding of the material characteristics that cause failure in different types of existing concrete railroad ties taken from different places is the main focus of this paper. Observing the current status and damages of railroad ties taken from track might give a correlation between the material characteristic and type of distress and cracking seen. Although it has been seen by previous works that effective factors such as air void system and material composition directly affect the performance of concrete ties such as freeze-thaw, material evaluation of existing ties after service life has not been addressed in previous publications. In this research, the authors have investigated the material characteristic such as aggregate and air-void system of existing pre-stressed concrete railroad ties taken from track. However, compressive and splitting tensile strength and fractured surface of samples cored from the ties were acquired. In order to obtain the strength of concrete materials of existing ties, six samples were cored from six different types of ties taken from tracks across the U.S., according to ASTM C42-16, and tested using ASTM C39 and ASTM C496 methods. However, the concrete air-void system (ASTM C457) was measured on saw-cut samples extracted from the ties to evaluate the influence air content and distribution on mechanical properties of the ties. Regarding the history and service life condition of the ties, it seems that material properties of the ties effectively alter the performance of the ties. Aggregate sources used at each location may have different properties such as texture, angularity, and mineralogy, contributing either propagation or resistance in splitting cracking in concrete. Furthermore, the polished surface of samples extracted from the ties show the uniformity and air void system in some ties which demonstrate their superiority in terms of resistance to freeze-thaw damage. Considering the results of this research, comprehensive evaluation of material characteristics might give a better view of existing concrete railroad ties situation, providing a worthwhile background for future tie design considerations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (10) ◽  
pp. 797-807
Author(s):  
Pangil Choi ◽  
Sung Il Jeon ◽  
Kyong-Ku Yun

Very-early-strength latex-modified concrete (VES-LMC) was developed for rapid repairs of distresses in concrete bridge decks and pavements, with the emphasis on early-age strength gain so that the repaired bridges and pavements can be opened to traffic within the time frame required in the specifications. However, there are two main concerns in the use of VES-LMC — early-age cracking and poor air void structure. The main objective of this study was to further improve VES-LMC to minimize early-age cracking and improve freeze–thaw durability, which included the use of fine fly ash (FFA) and calcium hydroxide (CH). Laboratory experiments were conducted on VES-LMC materials with cement replaced with FFA as well as CH, and various tests performed. Early-age drying shrinkages of VES-LMC containing both FFA and CH in the amounts evaluated in this study were smaller than that of VES-LMC with no replacements. It is expected that the use of FFA and CH in the range evaluated in this study will reduce the cracking potential of VES-LMC. Overall, the replacement of cement with FFA and CH improved the characteristics of entrained air void system, which will enhance the durability of VES-LMC against freeze–thaw damage. Scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis indicate the primary mechanism of the generation of small sized air voids in concretes containing adequate amount of FFA and CH is the gas formation reaction between citric acid solutions and CH during concrete mixing. It is expected that the inclusion of adequate amounts of FFA and CH in VES-LMC will improve the performance of repaired bridge decks and pavements in terms of reduced cracking and improved freeze-thaw durability.


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