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Alkali metal distribution in composite cement pastes and its relation to accelerated ASR tests

Abstract

Accelerated testing of alkali silica reaction (ASR) in concrete at elevated temperatures of 38 and 60 °C has an unknown impact on the alkali metal distribution in the cement paste. This paper investigates how the alkali metals released from hydrating Portland cement, limestone, and SCMs distribute between non-reactive and unreacted phases, C-A-S-H, and the pore solution. The SCMs investigated were fly ash and a volcanic pozzolan. The hydrate assemblage and pore solution of cement pastes cured at 20, 38 and 60 °C were analysed and related to the expansion of concrete prisms. There is little difference in alkali metal distribution at 20 and 38 °C, whereas curing at 60 °C has a large impact for the SCM containing blends. At alkali metal concentrations in the pore solution below 0.5 mol/L (Na + K) expansion of concrete was suppressed. Pore solution analysis could be used to screen new SCMs for ASR mitigation.
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Category

Academic article

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Petter Hemstad
  • Pamela Zuschlag
  • Petter Kjellemyr
  • Jan Lindgård
  • Knut O. Kjellsen
  • Terje Rønning
  • Harald Justnes
  • Zajac Maciej
  • Mohsen Ben Haha
  • Klaartje de Weerdt

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Community / Infrastructure
  • SINTEF Community / Architecture, Materials and Structures
  • Germany
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • Diverse norske bedrifter og organisasjoner

Year

2023

Published in

Cement and Concrete Research

ISSN

0008-8846

Volume

173

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository