Civil Engineering Commons^™

Improving The Spacer-Concrete Interface For Bond Strength And Durability, Fadhilah Muslim, H. S. Wong, N. R. Buenfeld

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Spacers are important devices in reinforced concrete that are used to support reinforcing steel during concreting in order to achieve the required concrete cover. They are placed at every meter length or less of steel reinforcement and left permanently in the structure. However, it has been shown that the weak interface between spacer and concrete is highly porous and microcracked. This lowers the resistance of the concrete cover to ingress of aggressive agents causing degradation. This study aims to address this problem by improving spacer design to enhance bond strength and durability of the spacer-concrete interface. Cementitious spacers with a …

Performance Oriented Functionalisation Of Concrete: An Integrated Approach For Prevention In Construction, Andreas Gerdes, Matthias Schwotzer, Julia Süßmuth

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The long-term preservation and the future-oriented development of the infrastructure are of utmost importance for every country in the world. An increasing failure of infrastructure underpins a tremendous need for action. The reasons for this unsatisfactory situation are various, but certainly among them is often an insufficient performance of the building materials. This holds particularly true for reinforced concrete and its additives, which are nowadays commonly developed by empirical research. Almost all shortcomings of concrete durability are related to the transport of detrimental substances into the pore system. In this regard, a promising approach to prevent chemical deterioration processes is …

Development Of A New Method To Reduce Drying Shrinkage Of Concrete By Applying Urea, Kosuke Shirayama, H. Fujiwara, M. Maruoka, L Lingling

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Cracking of concrete caused by drying shrinkage adversely affects the durability of the structure. In the past research results, it is effective to add urea to concrete as a way to reduce drying shrinkage. However, in ready mixed concrete factory in Japan, adding various admixture materials to concrete will increase equipment costs and labor costs because of the increase in the number of input items, the management problem and putting problem when mixing.

In this research, in consideration of the above problems, we attempted to develop a cheaper and simpler method to apply or infiltrate the urea solution on the …

Surface Treatments For Concrete Under Physical Salt Attack, Mohamed Sakr, Mohamed T. Bassuoni

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Physical salt attack (PSA) is a key deterioration mechanism for concrete structures in contact with salt-rich media. Yet, procedures and techniques for protecting and repairing concrete affected by PSA are not adequately addressed in the technical literature. Therefore, in this study, three surface coatings of concrete were tested to determine their ability to withstand conditions stimulating to PSA. The treatments were selected to achieve either a single function such as acting as a membrane layer or hydrophobic agent, or combined pore blocking and water repelling functions. Coatings were applied on a concrete mixture typically used for residential foundations in Canada. …

Social Dimensions In Sustainability Evaluation Of Deteriorating Reinforced Concrete Bridges, Zhujun Wang, Weiliang Jin, Wu Kexian, Dan M. Frangopol

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Structural sustainability requires that structural engineering activities should find ways to design and maintain structures that perform as required during their life-cycle considering intergenerational needs. Massive attention has been paid to the economic and environmental evaluation of structures. However, being a completely different discipline from structural engineering, the social dimensions associated with structures were rarely considered in previous studies due to the difficulty in determination and quantification, unavoidable subjectivity and controversy, as well as the lack of historical data. This paper identifies the social impacts induced by engineering activities associated with the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures, and proposes corresponding …

A Novel Multiscale Modelling Approach For Evaluation Of The Asr In Concrete Structures, Mostafa Jalal, M Mirsayar, Anol Mukhopadhyay

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

This paper presents a new multiscale approach for evaluation of the volume change in concrete structures due to the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). A practical step by step approach that can be applied to the real structures is developed based on combined experimental and numerical assessment by considering the most influential ASR parameters at different scales. In the first step, the ASR expansion is measured using accelerated concrete cylinder test (ACCT) for different concrete mixtures covering different variables of important factors such as mix design (e.g., w/cm, fly ash type and replacement percentages), aggregate reactivity, alkali loadings, temperature, and relative humidity …

Fem Analysis Of Structural Behaviour Of Reinforced Concrete Beam Under The Effect Of Frost Damage, Zhao Wang, Tamon Ueda, Hiroshi Hayashida, Dawei Zhang

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Minimizing frost damage is one of the important durability issues for concrete structures in cold and wet areas. This paper performed a Finite Element Model (FEM) analysis on the structural behavior of reinforced concrete beam under the effect of frost damage. The frost damage was considered as degradations in two constituents: concrete material and bond between concrete and reinforcement. The constitutive models of deteriorated concrete material were proposed using a mesoscale simulation approach (Rigid Body Spring Model). DIANA FEA program was adopted for the structural analysis and experiments were also conducted for the verification. It was clarified that the structural …

Establishment Of A Numerical Model For Sulfate Attacked Concrete Considering Multi-Factors, Shanshan Qin, Dujian Zou, Jun Jiang, Tiejun Liu

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Sulfate attack is one of the major durability problems of concrete structures, which is manifested by expansive cracks and deterioration of cement paste. In this study, a numerical model is proposed to predict the process of ionic diffusion into concrete under external sulfate attack. The chemical reaction and diffusion processes are considered in this model. Furthermore, the influence of calcium leaching, chemical activity of multi-ions, temperature and changes in porosity are also taken into account. The initial porosity and tortuosity are assumed to be homogeneous in concrete, and the chemical potential gradient is regarded as the driving force for ions …

Meso-Scale Fracture Modelling Of Concrete Cover Induced By Non-Uniform Corrosion Of Reinforcing Bar, Xun Xi, Shangtong Yang, Chun-Qing Li

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Corrosion-induced concrete cracking is a significant durability problem for reinforced concrete structures. In practice, critical corrosion degree to surface cracking and crack width evolution are of significance in regards to the assessment of serviceability of reinforced concrete structures. Literature review suggests that, although considerable research has been undertaken on corrosion-induced concrete cracking, little has been focused on non-uniform corrosion of reinforcing bar, especially by considering concrete as a three-phase materials. In this paper, a meso-scale fracture model, consisting of aggregates, cement paste/mortar and ITZ, is established. To simulate arbitrary cracking in concrete, cohesive elements are inserted in the fine meshes …

A New Model For Corrosion-Induced Concrete Cracking, Xun Xi, Shangtong Yang, Chun-Qing Li

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Corrosion of reinforced concrete is one of the major deterioration mechanisms which result in premature failure of the reinforced concrete structures. Due to the actual diffusion of chloride ingress, the corrosion products distribution is seldom uniform along the reinforcing bar. Recently, some non-uniform corrosion models have been proposed to investigate the corrosion-induced cracking mechanism of concrete. In this paper, a new corrosion model based on von Mises distribution is formulated and validated against experimental data. The developed model is then compared with the existing non-uniform models and the advantages are discussed. To demonstrate the application of the developed corrosion model, …

An Image-Based Local Homogenization Method To Model Mass Transport At The Steel-Concrete Interface, Zhidong Zhang Dr, Ueli Angst Prof, Alexander Michel Prof, Mads Jensen Dr

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Mass transport (moisture and ions) at the steel-concrete interface is closely related to corrosion of rebar in reinforced concrete structures. Thus, in the model simulating mass transport, the structure of the steel-concrete interface must be well represented. In this study, an image-based local homogenization method is proposed based on images taken in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) under the backscattered electron (BSE) detector. According to the gray level of the image, porosity can be calculated and then proposed equations are used to associate the transport properties (sorption isotherms, diffusion coefficients and permeability) with porosity. Experimental data of chloride concentration taken …

Residual Service Life Estimation And Its Importance For Pretensioned Concrete (Ptc) Bridges In Coastal Cities, Dyana Joseline, Deepak K. Kamde, Sripriya Rengaraju, Radhakrishna G. Pillai

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Many pre-tensioned concrete (PTC) bridges are experiencing premature chloride-induced corrosion. Hence, it is crucial to estimate their residual service life and update it with newer data on a periodic basis - to plan for corrosionpreventionorcontrolmeasuresandensuresafetyofexistingbridges.Criticalchloridethreshold(Cl th) is one of the parameters necessary to estimate the corrosion initiation period. However, quantitative estimates on Clth for prestressing (PS) steel are not well-reported in literature. This paper presents experimental data on the Clth of PS steel, the chloride diffusion coefficient (Dcl), and surface chloride concentration (Cs) of concrete samples obtained from a PTC bridge girder in a coastal city in India. For estimation …

Estimating Fractal Dimension Of Cement Matrix For Predicting Chloride Ingress Into Cement-Based Materials, Elakneswaran Yogarajah, Satoshi Yoshida, Akira Hatanaka, Toyoharu Nawa

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The durability performance of cement-based materials in service environments is affected by numerous factors, many of which involve attacks due to ionic transport, leading to reduced service life. The durability must be ensured in both an economically and environmentally responsible manner. Chloride-induced steel corrosion is a serious threat to the durability of reinforced concrete structures in marine environments, and the diffusion is the dominant transport mechanism of chloride ingress into concrete. Therefore, clear understanding of chloride transport mechanism, particular the diffusion path, is important for designing the durability performance of reinforced concrete structures. The purpose of this study is to …

Effect Of Time-Dependent Chloride Profile And Temperature Variation On Chloride Diffusion In Concrete, Feras Alsheet, A. Ghani Razaqpur

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Reinforcement corrosion due to chlorides diffusion is one of the main problems in reinforced concrete structures exposed to certain environments. The diffusion rate is function of chloride surface concentration, concrete temperature, humidity, composition and microstructure. The intruded chlorides are partially chemically bound by the concrete and it is the unbound or free chloride which upon exceeding a defined threshold initiates corrosion. The time to corrosion initiation depends on the above variables; therefore, it is important to model their spatial and temporal variations in a manner that will yield a realistic estimate of the actual initiation period. In this study, the …

Modelling Of Capillary Pore Structure Evolution In Portland Cement Pastes Based On Irregular-Shaped Cement Particles, Cheng Liu, Mingzhong Zhang, G Fang, Yun Bai, Y Zhang

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The pore structure plays a crucial role in durability performance of cement-based materials. However, the pore structure in cement pastes is highly dependent on the initial packing of cement particles and cement hydration process, which seems to be related to the shapes of cement particles. This paper proposed a numerical method to investigate the effect of cement particle shapes on capillary pore structures in cement pastes. In this study, irregular-shaped cement particles with various shapes are generated using a novel central growth model, and then incorporated into CEMHYD3D model to simulate Portland cement hydration. Some home-made programs of determining pore …

First Principles-Based Design Of Economical Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Aashay Arora, Matthew Aguayo, Farrokh Kianmofrad, Yiming Yao, Barzin Mobasher, Narayanan Neithalath

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

This paper presents a novel strategy to design the binder phase of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) from commonly available cement replacement (fly ash, slag, microsilica, metakaolin) and fine filler (limestone) materials. A packing algorithm is used to extract the number density, mean centroidal distance, and coordination number of the microstructure. Similarly, rheological studies on the pastes provide yield stress, plastic viscosity, and mini-slump spread. The selection criteria involves using the three microstructural and three rheological parameters individually or in combination to define packing and flow coefficients. The selection criteria is flexible enough to allow users modify the constraints depending on …

Durability Design Of Segmental Linings For Intended Service Life Of Tunnels, Mehdi Bakhshi, Verya Nasri

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

In one-pass lining systems, the durability of tunnel structure is directly related to durability of concrete segments acting as both the initial support and the tunnel final lining. In this paper, most-frequent degradation mechanisms of concrete linings are discussed including chloride- and carbonation- induced corrosions, sulfate, acid and freeze-and-thaw attacks, and alkali-aggregate reactions. Mitigation method for each specific degradation mechanism is explained. A durability factor specific to railway and subway tunnel known as stray current corrosion is presented. Mitigation methods for this specific corrosion together with coupling effects with other conventional damage mechanisms are explained. Prescriptive approaches for durability design …

Durability Design Based On Serviceability Stage For Corroded Reinforced Concrete Structures, Zhongxiaoping Zhongxiaoping, J Zhu, Cb Yuan, Wl Jin, J Xia

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

After analyzing such factors as the structural durability failure state, environmental load and resistance, the durability limit state equation considering steel corrosion initiation, concrete cover cracking and maximum corrosion-induced damage value is established to meet its durability service life requirements under chloride environment. For three different durability limit states, the design theory of reliability, the partial factors of variables for load and resistance are introduced to reflect the target reliability requirements of structural durability, and subsequently the partial factors expression form of structural durability design is established. According to the principle of the same reliability level for partial factors design …

Durability Of Cement-Based Materials In Drinking Water Storage, Matthias Schwotzer, Andreas Gerdes

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

In order to provide a hygienic storage drinking water reservoirs have been coated with mineral mortar linings in all epochs of European history. However, modern cement-based materials often show in this special operational environment an inadequate durability. Even though drinking water is commonly not considered particularly harmful to cementitious systems, the chemical degradation of mortar linings in drinking water storage systems can occur very fast compared to other common deterioration reactions. This results in cost intensive repair measures and thus high life-cycle costs as well associated with an ecological burden. Furthermore, an insufficient understanding of degradation mechanisms and their underlying …

Experimental And Numerical Study Of Macro-Cell Corrosion Between Crossed Steel Bars, Zheng Dong, Xianglin Gu, Zhihao Jin

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Reinforcing steel bars embedded in concrete are always intersected with each other to form rebar mesh or three-dimensional steel cage. The present study aims to investigate the phenomenon of severe corrosion observed at stirrups or some intersections of steel rebar mesh, which has not been well studied before. Macro-cell corrosion between crossed steel bars was considered to be the major cause for this phenomenon. In this regard, crossed steel bars were divided into intersected zone (IZ) and non-intersected zone (NIZ). The macro-cell current at the face-to-face IZ was calculated by Ohm’s law. A one-dimensional model based on transmission line method …

Effect Of Multi- Steel Bolt Anchorages On Composite Beams, Dawei Zhang, H. F. Shi, W. L. Jin, Tamon Ueda

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) to retrofit or strengthen the concrete structures is an attractive option in construction areas nowadays. However, premature debonding failures limit the efficacy of fiber utilization. It is presently accepted that anchorage system is an attractive option to solve this problem. Much efforts has been made through experimental testing and numerical modeling to investigate the anchorage systems, meanwhile various systems were created and developed. However, researches on the mechanism of the anchorage systems are still too rare to build a countable and union design guideline with respect to different premature debonding failure modes. The present paper focused …

Effect Of Corrosion On The Shear Transfer Behavior Of Stud Shear Connectors, Wen Xue, Ju Chen, Ao-Yu Jiang, Wei-Liang Jin

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The effect of corrosion on the shear transfer behavior of stud shear connectors was investigated in this study. Experimental investigation was performed using an innovative test setup for single stud shear connector. Two series of specimens having different stud diameters were fabricated and tested. The test specimens were firstly corroded to different corrosion rates by electronic accelerating method. Loading test were then performed to obtain the load-slip curves and ultimate strengths of corroded test specimens. Corrosion rates were measured from the studs obtained from the failure test specimens. Test results were compared with standard push out test specimens having the …

Drying Shrinkage Of Hardened Cement Paste And Its Relationship To The Microstructure, Xin Wang, Chaojun Wan, Xiaojing Zhang, Heng Chen

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The aim of the present study is to relate microstructure to the drying shrinkage of hardened cement paste. Three microstructural features, calcium silicate hydrate(C-S-H), calcium hydroxide(CH) and pore structure were studied. A new method to determine the C-S-H content of hardened cement paste is presented. Drying shrinkage behavior of cement pastes were investigated by drying specimens through successive steps of RH 100% to 7% RH and re-saturating the specimens. The total shrinkage of cement paste after drying to 7% RH and irreversible shrinkage were decreased with the increasing amount of C-S-H and CH. Prolonged curing resulted in a paste with …

Effect Of External Loading On Durability Properties Of Pre-Stressed Concrete Girders With Microcracking, Savitha Sagari Srinivasan, Raissa Douglas Ferron, Michael Rung

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Over the last fourteen years, very early in the service life of pre-stressed concrete girders, unexplained microcracks have been observed. Their presence led to concerns about the future integrity of the girders, with one of the major concerns being corrosion of pre-stressing strands. As such, a comprehensive study aimed at understanding the effects these microcracks have on the service life of the girders was initiated. Eight in-service girders, under external loads, and five rejected girders, not under external loads, were selected for the study. In this paper, we present work on the temporal evolution of the cracks during a one-year …

Electrochemical Behaviour Of Passive Layers In Weathered Reinforced Mortars, B. Díaz, B. Guitián, X.R. Nóvoa, M.C. Pérez

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Electrochemical methods are widely employed for assessing the corrosion performance of steel rebars embedded in concrete. Corrosion potential and polarization resistance are the main parameters considered for this purpose; under the assumption that the cathodic process corresponds to oxygen reduction and the anodic process to steel corrosion. Although these assumptions are mostly true, they are not able to explain some transitions from passive to active states, as well as some corrosion potential evolutions. The present contribution is intended to provide an in depth approximation to those questions based on the study of thick passive layers formed over years in atmospheric …

Influence Of Surface Retarders On Texture Profile And Durability Of Upper Layer Of Exposed Aggregate Concrete Pavement, Mariusz Dąbrowski, Miachał Antoni Glinicki, Karolina Gibas, Aneta Antolik, Kinga Dziedzic

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Exposed aggregate concrete (EAC) pavement technology is used in Poland for construction of major highways and expressways. When properly executed, it is an efficient technique to provide desired friction for skid resistance without compromising the noise limitations. Concrete mix uniformity, proper dosing of retarding agent and optimal time to brush with a mechanical broom are supposed to have a major impact on the properties of the upper pavement layer. An experimental investigation was performed on exposed aggregate concrete specimens manufactured in the laboratory in a way to simulate the industrial production of two-layer concrete slab with exposed aggregate. The texture …

Performance Of Anaerobic Digestion Systems: A Review, Douglas Thompson, Sree Nanukuttan, Daniel Mcpolin

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Anaerobic digesters contain extreme environments that change drastically during the production cycle. Organic material is broken down first into amino and fatty acids, then into volatile fatty acids, ammonia, CO₂, H₂S and other by-products. These acids and alcohols are converted to acetic acid as well as CO₂ and H₂, which is then used to create methane. All these biological processes mean that the pH, temperature and type of bacteria vary, creating conditions outside the scope of current standards, such as a concentration of ammonium ions 8 times greater than the upper limit of …

Emerging Rapid Aggregate And Concrete Test Methods For Formulating Asr-Resistant Concrete, Anol Mukhopadhyay, Kai-Wei Liu

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The main objective of this study was to develop rapid aggregate and concrete test methods and a combined innovative approach for formulating performance based ASR resistant concrete mixes. An innovative step by step approach has been developed to formulate ASR resistant concrete mixes based on four recommended steps. In step 1, determination of aggregate ASR composite activation energy (CAE) and threshold alkalinity (THA) by using a rapid aggregate chemical test called volumetric change measuring device (VCMD) is performed. The lower the CAE the higher the reactivity is. Based on the measured CAE and THA, mix design formulation is conducted in …

Study On Accelerated Microbial Corrosion Of Concrete By Artificially Intensified Sewage, L. J. Kong, M. F. Cao, Xiangming Zhou Prof, H. R. Lu, H. Lu, G. Kastiukas

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

In this study, the artificially intensified sewage with different levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were prepared, and the changes in weight and strength, as well as the micro morphology, mineral compositions and pore structure of concrete specimens immersed in the artificially intensified sewage and water were investigated in comparison. In parallel, the COD, pH, H₂S and O₂ values, as well as the microbial species and contents of sewage were monitored in the corrosion process. Furthermore, the microbial structure and activities within biofilm developed on concrete surface were also analyzed. The results indicated that the increase of …

The Tsa Degradation Process Within Cement-Based Materials In The Electrical Field Environment, Chong Wang, Zheng Fang, Yaoling Luo

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The thaumasite form of sulfate attack (TSA) of cement-based materials is a complex degradation process. The degradation process needs abundant water, carbonate, sulfate and silicate. However, there is no detailed study on the TSA degradation process. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and chemical analyses were used to study the TSA degradation process based on the present studies. The results indicated that the degradation process of the electrical field was similar to the full immersion, with the main difference being the degradation rate. The electrical field can obviously accelerate the TSA degradation process. The degradation had progressed to the core of the sample, …