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Hawaiian and Azorean volcanic aggregates: a preliminary study of the potential alkali-silica reaction

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Abstract

The alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a chemical deterioration of concrete that involves reactive forms of silica. Volcanic glass is one of the potentially reactive forms of silica that can be present in volcanic rocks such as basalts. The aggregates used for concrete purposes from the Azores and Hawaiian Archipelagos are mainly of basic composition (basalts s.l.). In general, there is no report of ASR damaged structures in both archipelagos. However, in order to evaluate the behavior of these rocks regarding ASR and to compare the rocks from the two archipelagos, a set of methodologies were performed on a total of twenty-one volcanic aggregates. Geochemical analysis, total alkali-silica diagram, CIPW norm calculation, and petrographic analysis are some of the methods used for the assessment and analysis of rocks. The study was also complemented by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) in order to identify the composition of volcanic glass and by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) for the Hawaiian aggregates. The results obtained from the studied aggregates showed that there are some differences between the two archipelagos. The rocks from the Azores are alkaline while the majority of the rocks from Hawaiian Archipelago are tholeiitic. The petrographic study revealed that the analyzed rocks from the Hawaiian Islands contain a higher quantity of interstitial volcanic glass than those from the Azores Archipelago. The EPMA carried out in some samples from the Hawaii showed that the volcanic glass has a composition of silica higher than 65%, value that is considered in the literature as potentially reactive.

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Funding

The present work is a contribution to the PhD Project “Volcanic aggregates and alkali-silica-reactions in the world: a comparative study with Azores aiming to enhance concrete durability on volcanic oceanic islands” (refª: M3.1.a / F / 006/2015), with the support of the Regional Science Fund and Technology of the Regional Government of the Azores (Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia) and co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Program AÇORES2020 FEDER FSE. EPMA was performed at Université Laval in Canada, funded by NSERC Discovery Grant RGPIN-2018-04532. SEM/EDS analyses were performed at CEMUP, with equipment funded by projects REEQ/1062/CTM/2005 and REDE/1512/RME/2005 of Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The thin sections from Hawaiian Islands were produced in the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. Publication supported by project FCT UIDB/50019/2020 – Instituto Dom Luiz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal

    Sara Medeiros & João Carlos Nunes

  2. Instituto Dom Luiz, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande Edifício C1, Piso 1, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal

    Sara Medeiros & Isabel Fernandes

  3. Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal

    Isabel Fernandes

  4. Geology and geological engineering Department, Pavillon Adrien Pouliot Université Laval, 1065, Avenue de la Médecine, G1V 0A6, Quebéc, Qc, Canada

    Benoit Fournier

  5. Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK

    Violeta Ramos

  6. Institute of Earth Sciences - Pole Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    Violeta Ramos

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  1. Sara Medeiros
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  2. Isabel Fernandes
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  3. Benoit Fournier
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  4. João Carlos Nunes
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  5. Violeta Ramos
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Correspondence to Sara Medeiros.

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Medeiros, S., Fernandes, I., Fournier, B. et al. Hawaiian and Azorean volcanic aggregates: a preliminary study of the potential alkali-silica reaction. Bull Eng Geol Environ 80, 8949–8960 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01702-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01702-z

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