The invention relates to a test method for determining the risk potential of an alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in mineral construction materials, such as concrete.
Concrete is one of the most important structural construction materials worldwide. In general, concrete exhibits high durability which, in some cases, can however be reduced by a material-related damage reaction. Due to a reaction between the alkali-sensitive or -reactive SiO2-rich aggregates and the alkalis and hydroxides from the pore solution in the concrete, an alkali-silica gel (ASR gel) is formed. The ASR gel swells due to the absorption of water, which in turn can lead to significant damage, such as cracking in the concrete or even spalling. The swelling pressures occurring when the ASR gel expands damage the texture in the concrete and reduce its service life. In Germany, for example, over 400 km of highway are affected by the effects of an alkali-silica reaction (ASR). ASR is a very slow process and damage usually occurs only after five years. The test methods currently used to determine whether there is a potential for an ASR are either lengthy or, due to a reduced test duration, do not provide reliable results. This is mainly due to the fact that the influence of the structural nature of both the starting materials (aggregate) and the reaction product (ASR gel) on an ASR is not sufficiently known.
In 1974, the Deutscher Ausschuss fur Stahlbeton e.V. (German Committee for Reinforced Concrete) introduced an alkali guideline entitled “Vorbeugende Maßnahmen gegen schädigende Alkalireaktion im Beton” (Preventive Measures against Damaging Alkali Reaction in Concrete) (DAfStb guideline) for the control or testing of concrete as a construction material with regard to an ASR. A current edition of the DAfStb guideline was published in October 2013.
Appendix B of the DAfStb guideline describes a rapid test method known as mortar testing. In addition, a long-term test method (concrete test) is described. Up till now, the assessment of the alkali sensitivity or reactivity of aggregates is carried out on the basis of a rapid test method (mortar test) and/or a long-term test method (concrete test). The mortar rapid test is based on the production of mortars according to a predetermined formulation and subsequent storage in alkali or over water at elevated temperature. The change in length/expansion of the test specimens is examined at predetermined time intervals, as described in conjunction with
Concrete tests at 40° C. fog chamber storage (at 100% room humidity) or as a 60° C. concrete test are carried out in accordance with the DAfStb guideline within a storage period of 9 months or 20 weeks. In this case, the change in length/expansion of the test specimens is measured, as a result of which it is possible to assess the employed aggregates in terms of their ASR risk.
The article “Entwicklung eines direkten Prüfverfahrens zur Alkaliempfindlichkeitsbeurteilung von Gesteinskörnungen—der BTU-SP-Schnelltest” (Development of a Direct Test Method for Assessing the Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates—the BTU-SP Rapid Test), Forum der Forschung 20/2007: pages 73-78, BTU Cottbus, self-publisher, ISSN no.: 0947-6989, describes another well-known test method, the BTU-SP rapid test of the BTU Cottbus. This rapid test, which is shown in
Optimizations of known mortar and concrete test methods are described, for example, in the following patent applications:
JP 0273156 A discloses a test of an alkali aggregate for evaluating the alkali-silica reactivity of the aggregate by measuring changes in length of a mortar bar.
EP 2 397 848 A1 discloses an automatic measuring method and a device for the continuous expansion measurement on artificially weathered test specimens under simulated conditions of accelerated aging. The measurement method disclosed therein is adapted to detect the influence of the alkali-silica reaction provoking storage in concretes and the accompanying change in length of test specimens without an interruption of weathering in situ. JP 2008 230882 A discloses to use for concrete or mortar a fine aggregate that is found to be harmless when testing the alkali aggregate reaction according to the alkali-silica reactivity test methods according to JIS A 1145 and JIS A 1146.
WO 14 171902 A1 discloses a mortar bar tester and a test method in which the change in length of the alkali-silica reaction is observed that occurs on concrete samples which are used in the construction industry.
The known methods have the disadvantage that the predictions on the basis of measurement results obtained in the short term are very inaccurate or not correct. The object of the invention is therefore to provide a simple and fast method that can produce good predictions for the sensitivity of concrete to the alkali-silica reaction.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method of claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention are found in the subclaims.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a test method for determining the risk potential for an alkali-silica reaction in mineral construction materials, such as concrete, is provided, said method comprising the following steps:
A major advantage of the method according to the present invention over known methods is that the method according to the invention requires little effort and that the result of whether or not there is an ASR potential for the examined aggregate is available after only a few minutes.
None of the known test methods deals with the examination of the structural nature of the reaction product (ASR gel) or the employed starting materials (aggregate) to classify the alkali sensitivity of aggregates. However, the crystallinity of the aggregates has a significant influence on the silicate solubility and thus on the damage potential of an ASR. In turn, the structure or the chemical composition of the ASR gels has a major influence on the swelling behavior of the gels and can therefore additionally be used to classify the alkali sensitivity of aggregates.
According to the invention, the method can comprise the step of storing values in a database for comparing the examination results to the values stored in the database.
According to the invention, the sample to be examined can be or comprise a starting material of the concrete mixture for the preparation of the concrete.
According to the invention, the starting material can be or comprise an aggregate.
According to the invention, the sample to be examined can be or comprise a reaction product forming in the concrete. In this regard, the reaction product can be or comprise an alkali-silica gel (ASR gel).
According to the invention, the sample to be examined can be subjected to a dissolution test prior to the examination.
In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out for at least 1 week. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out for at least 2 weeks. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out for at least 3 weeks.
In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out at a temperature of more than 60° C. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out at a temperature of more than 70° C. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out at a temperature of more than 75° C. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out at a temperature of about 80° C. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out at a temperature of less than 95° C. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out at a temperature of less than 90° C. In this regard, the dissolution test can be carried out at a temperature of less than 85° C.
Depending on the temperature of the dissolution test, the duration can vary. For example, at a temperature of 80° C., a duration of 2 weeks can be selected.
According to the invention, the dissolution product can be or comprise an ASR gel, which is characterized by means of Raman spectroscopy to classify the risk potential of the sample.
According to the invention, the solvent can be or comprise K/NaOH. In this regard, the solvent can be or comprise 1 mol of K/NaOH.
According to the invention, portlandite Ca(OH)2 can be added to the K/NaOH solution. Alternatively, the K/NaOH solution can be available without the addition of portlandite.
According to the invention, the Raman spectroscopy can be used as an ASR test method to classify the alkali sensitivity of aggregates. The ASR testing can be carried out on the basis of the structural examination of the starting materials (aggregate) and/or the resulting reaction products (ASR gels) in the concrete by means of Raman spectroscopy. Due to the use of the Raman spectroscopy it is possible to measure and structurally characterize, on the one hand, amorphous ASR gels present in mortar samples, in concrete samples or in solution and, on the other hand, also amorphous to crystalline aggregates. In order to classify the ASR damage potential, the measured Raman spectra are assessed by comparing these spectra with a previously created dedicated database.
The use of the Raman spectroscopy can provide new, important insights into the ASR and improve the assessment of an ASR risk. It can also provide another preventive measure against the ASR. This can increase the service life of concrete and save raw materials. Due to the small sample size and the X-ray amorphous structure of ASR gels, the Raman spectroscopy is currently the only measurement method to fully characterize the structure of ASR gels in a time-efficient manner. Therefore, the examination of the structure of the gels and the aggregates is an essential addition to the test methods used thus far.
ASR testing laboratories already accredited can use this method as a preventive measure. Furthermore, this invention might be used in the construction materials industry, such as in construction companies and raw material suppliers (e.g. gravel plants). Due to the use of Raman spectroscopy by means of a database, a faster and more efficient and simplified method for testing the ASR risk is possible. The use of this test method according to the invention cannot only fill some of the previous knowledge gaps on the ASR, but also improve the energy balance and allow the saving of raw materials, and altogether extend the service life of concrete.
The Raman spectroscopy can be used to purely characterize ASR gels or aggregates and not be used as a preventive measure/test method. This information can be used to indirectly infer the ASR damage potential of aggregates, for example.
Particular embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:
According to the invention, Raman spectroscopy is used as an ASR test method to classify the alkali sensitivity of aggregates. The ASR testing is carried out on the basis of the structural examination of the starting materials (aggregates) and/or the resulting reaction products (ASR gels) in the concrete by means of Raman spectroscopy. By using Raman spectroscopy, both amorphous ASR gels can be present in mortar and concrete samples or in solution and amorphous to crystalline aggregates can be measured and structurally characterized. In order to classify the ASR damage potential, the measured Raman spectra is assessed on the basis of a comparison between these spectra and a previously created, dedicated database.
A dissolution test of fine-grained aggregates was carried out. Subsequently, the solution product (ASR gel) was characterized by means of Raman spectroscopy, as shown in
The dissolution test comprises the storage of fine-grained aggregates for at least 14 days in 1 mol K/NaOH solution with the addition of portlandite Ca(OH)2 at 80° C. Alternatively, the dissolution test can also be carried out without the addition of portlandite.
On the basis of an assessment of the vibrational spectra shown in
The Raman spectrum shown in
The assessment of the vibrational bands according to
The determined image of the vibrational bands is compared with a database which records the correlations between the images of the vibrational bands and the ASR resistance from previously conducted long-term tests. The measure of ASR resistance was here determined by means of the above-mentioned known methods. The database thus makes it possible to link the ASR resistance determined in long-term tests with the rapid test methods for determining the images of the vibrational bands by means of Raman spectroscopy.
According to the invention, a structural examination of the starting materials of concrete that are subjected to a dissolution test is therefore carried out to classify the ASR risk.
This exemplary embodiment thus shows that the ASR risk potential can be determined with the help of the classification of the alkali sensitivity of aggregates. On the basis of the examination of the raw materials (aggregates), it is furthermore possible to determine an ASR risk potential with the help of the classification of the alkali sensitivity of aggregates.
The gel was examined by means of Raman spectroscopy and structurally characterized on the basis of the vibrational bands shown in
Instead of the synthesized gel, it is possible, according to the invention, to obtain the gel directly from a concrete sample.
This exemplary embodiment thus shows that the Raman spectroscopy according to the method of the invention can be used to detect and structurally characterize ASR gels. An ASR risk potential can be determined by a comparison with a database.
According to this exemplary embodiment, the aggregate is characterized with regard to structure by means of Raman spectroscopy. In other words, it is possible according to the invention to directly examine and characterize the aggregate by means of Raman spectroscopy without a prior dissolution test. The result of the characterization is then correlated with existing test methods (mortar/concrete test methods) by carrying out a comparison with a previously created database.
Various points of the aggregate are examined by Raman spectroscopy and the resulting spectrum is used to determine the structure and, obtained from this, the ASR risk. Depending on the spectral assessment of the measured minerals, a distinction can here be made between slow and fast reactive aggregates. If the structure of the SiO2 minerals is cryptocrystalline, lattice-disrupted or amorphous, a fast-reactive aggregate with a high risk potential is concerned. Crystalline SiO2 minerals are either slowly reactive or have no ACR risk. The transition range between aggregates that have an ASR risk and those that have no ACR-risk is determined by a correlation with existing test methods.
ASR risk potential can be carried out in some circumstances with microscopic examinations of fresh cut surfaces of the test specimens 11.
A great advantage of the method according to the invention compared to the known methods is that the method according to the invention requires little effort and that the result of whether or not there is an ASR potential of the examined aggregate, can be available after only a few minutes.
Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Therefore, the above description should not be regarded as restrictive but as explanatory. The following claims are to be understood in such a way that a stated feature is present in at least one embodiment of the invention. This does not exclude the presence of further features. If the claims and the above description define “first” and “second” embodiments, this designation is used to distinguish between two similar embodiments without determining a ranking order.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102018251789.4 | Dec 2018 | DE | national |
This is a Bypass Continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2019/086885 filed Dec. 22, 2019 and published as WO 2020/136152A1. Priority is claimed to DE 10 2018 251 789.4, filed Dec. 28, 2018. The contents of the above-identified applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/EP2019/086885 | Dec 2019 | US |
Child | 17358583 | US |