Abstract
The sulfate resistance of concrete was tested using drying-immersion cycles of varying duration in different sulfate solutions. The measured expansion in the different protocols showed a correlation to the sulfate profiles in the test specimens determined by EDX. Based on the magnitude of expansion and the test duration, a suitable protocol for testing job-site concrete was identified. A matrix of 20 concrete mixtures was tested with this protocol. The test permitted to distinguish the effect of cement type, w/c and paste volume on expansion. Measurements of the dynamic E-modulus made it possible to link expansion and mechanical damage and to define a limit value for expansion. As this test appears to be suitable to determine the potential of concrete for expansion induced by ettringite formation due to sulfate ingress, it was introduced into the Swiss norms.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
St John DA (1982) An unusual case of ground water sulfate attack on concrete. Cem Concr Res 12:633–639
Diamond S, Lee RJ (1999) Microstructural alterations associated with sulfate attack in permeable concretes. Materials science of concrete: sulfate attack mechanisms. American Ceramic Society, Westerville, pp 123–173
Sahu S, Badger S, Thaulow N (2002) Evidence of thaumasite formation in Southern California concrete. Cem Concr Compos 24:379–384
Leemann A, Loser R (2011) Analysis of concrete in a vertical ventilation shaft exposed to sulfate-containing groundwater for 45 years. Cem Concr Compos 33:74–83
Bellmann F, Erfurt W, Ludwig HM (2012) Field performance of concrete exposed to sulphate and low pH conditions from natural and industrial sources. Cem Concr Compos 34:86–93
Mittermayr F, Baldermann A, Kurta C, Rinder T, Klammer D, Leis A, Tritthart J, Dietzel M (2013) Evaporation—a key mechanism for the thaumasite form of sulfate attack. Cem Concr Res 49:55–64
Mittermayr F, Bauer C, Klammer D, Böttcher ME, Leis A, Escher P, Dietzel M (2012) Concrete under sulphate attack: an isotope study on sulphur sources. Isot Environ Healt Stud 48:105–117
Romer M, Holzer L, Pfiffner M (2003) Swiss tunnel structures: concrete damage by formation of thaumasite. Cem Concr Compos 25:1111–1117
Pfiffner M, Holzer L (2001) Schädigungsmechanismen der Betonkorrosion in Tunnelbauwerken. Bundesamt für Strassen, ASTRA Report 1999/145, Bern (in German)
Thorvaldson T (1952) Chemical aspects of the durability of cement products. In: Proceedings of the 3rd international symposium on chemistry of cement, London, pp 436–465
Marchand J, Skalny J (1999) Sulfate attack mechanism. Am Ceram Soc, Westerville, pp 123–174
Skalny J, Marchand J, Odler I (2002) Sulfate attack on concrete. Spon Press, London
Nehdi ML, Suleiman AR, Soliman AM (2014) Investigation of concrete exposed to dual sulfate attack. Cem Concr Res 64:42–53
Abubaker F, Lynsdale C, Cripps J (2014) Investigation of concrete–clay interaction with regards to the thaumasite form of sulfate attack. Constr Build Mater Int Conf Sustain Constr Mater Technol 67A:88–94
Peyvandi A, Holmes D, Soroushian P, Balachandra AM (2014) Monitoring of sulfate attack in concrete by 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy. J Mater Civil Eng. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001175
Bentz DP, Davis JM, Peltz MA, Snyder KA (2014) Influence of internal curing and viscosity modifiers on resistance to sulfate attack. Mater Struct 47:581–589
SN 505262/1 (2003) Beton—Ergänzende Eigenschaften (available in German and French)
Loser R, Leemann A, Niederhauser, R (2011) Prüfung des Sulfatwiderstandes von Beton nach SIA 262/1, Anhang D: Anwendbarkeit und Relevanz für die Praxis. ASTRA Forschungsbericht Nr. 1355, Bern (in German)
Leemann A, Loser R (2012) Accelerated sulfate resistance test for concrete—chemical and microstructural aspects. In: Second international conference on microstructural-related durability of cementitious composites, Amsterdam, paper 141
Lawrence CD (1984) Transport of oxygen through concrete. In: Glasser FP (ed) The chemistry and chemically-related properties of cement, vol 35. British Ceramic Society, London, pp 277–293
Buenfeld NR, Okundi E (1998) Effect of cement content on transport in concrete. Mag Concr Res 50:339–351
Villani C, Loser R, West MJ, Di Bella C, Lura P, Weiss JW (2014) An inter lab comparison of gas transport testing procedures: oxygen permeability and oxygen diffusivity. Cem Concr Compos 53:357–366
Gollop RS, Taylor HFW (1995) Microstructural and microanalytical studies of sulfate attack III. Sulfate-resisting Portland cement: reactions with sodium and magnesium sulfate solutions. Cem Concr Res 25:1581–1590
Gollop RS, Taylor HFW (1996) Microstructural and microanalytical studies of sulfate attack. IV. Reactions of a slag cement paste with sodium and magnesium sulfate solutions. Cem Concr Res 26:1013–1028
Al-Amoudi OSB, Maslehuddin M, Saadi MM (1995) Effect of magnesium sulfate and sodium sulfate on the durability performance of plain and blended cements. ACI Mater J 92:15–24
Kunther W, Lothenbach B, Scrivener KL (2013) On the relevance of volume increase for the length changes of mortar bars in sulfate solutions. Cem Concr Res 46:23–29
SN 505262/1 (2013) Beton—Ergänzende Eigenschaften, (available in German and French)
Kunther W, Lothenbach B, Skibsted J (2015) Influence of the Ca/Si ratio of the C-S-H phase on the interaction with sulfate ions and its impact on the ettringite crystallization pressure. Cem Concr Res 69:37–49
Flatt RJ, Scherer GW (2008) Thermodynamics of crystallization stresses in DEF. Cem Concr Res 38:325–336
Schmidt T, Lothenbach B, Romer M, Neuenschwander J, Scrivener KL (2009) Physical and microstructural aspects of sulfate attack on ordinary and limestone blended Portland cements. Cem Concr Res 39:1111–1121
Yu C, Sun W, Scrivener K (2015) Degradation mechanism of slag blended mortars immersed in sodium sulfate solution. Cem Concr Res 72:37–47
Yu C, Sun W, Scrivener K (2013) Mechanism of expansion of mortars immersed in sodium sulfate solutions. Cem Concr Res 43:105–111
Müllauer W, Beddoe RE, Heinz D (2013) Sulfate attack expansion mechanisms. Cem Concr Res 52:208–215
Lothenbach B, Bary B, Le Bescop P, Schmidt T, Leterrier N (2010) Sulfate ingress in Portland cement. Cem Concr Res 40:1211–1225
Gollop RS, Taylor HFW (1992) Microstructural and microanalytical studies of sulfate attack. I. Ordinary Portland cement paste. Cem Concr Res 22:1027–1038
Kunther W, Lothenbach B, Scrivener K (2013) Influence of bicarbonate ions on the deterioration of mortar bars in sulfate solutions. Cem Concr Res 44:77–86
Flatt RJ (2002) Salt damage in porous materials: how high supersaturations are generated. J Cryst Growth 242:435–454
Tsui N, Flatt RJ, Scherer GW (2003) Crystallization damage by sodium sulphate. J Cult Herit 4:109–115
Angeli M, Hébert R, Menéndez B, David C, Bigas JP (2010) Influence of temperature and salt concentration on the salt weathering of a sedimentary stone with sodium sulphate. Eng Geol 115:193–199
Loser R, Leemann A (2011) Sulfatwiderstand von Beton: verbessertes Verfahren basierend auf der Prüfung nach SIA 262/1, Anhang D. ASTRA Report FGU 2010/001, Bern (in German)
Report Nr. 2-1-039-06.14b (2014) VAB-Ringversuch Sulfatwiderstand von Beton nach SIA 262/1, Anhang D (in German)
Acknowledgments
The Swiss Federal Road Office is acknowledged for financing this study, P. Lura for critically reviewing the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Loser, R., Leemann, A. An accelerated sulfate resistance test for concrete. Mater Struct 49, 3445–3457 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0731-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0731-2