SULFATE ATTACK ON CONCRETE PAVEMENTS IN MISSISSIPPI
DURING THE PAST 15 YEARS, THE TESTING DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT HAS OBSERVED AND ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF DETERIORATION OF CONCRETE ON SOME SECTIONS OF HIGHWAYS WITHIN THE STATE. ORIGINALLY, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE DETERIORATION WAS THE RESULT OF PHYSICAL CAUSES, SUCH AS EXCESSIVE FINISHING, OVERSTRESSING AND LACK OF OR IMPROPER PLACING OF LOAD TRANSFER DEVICES AT JOINTS. THE DETERIORATION CONSISTS OF A GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF MAP CRACKING, DISCOLORATION IN THE AREA OF THE CRACKS, LATER SCALING OF THE TOP SURFACE, AND EVENTUAL DISINTEGRATION OF THE ENTIRE DEPTH OF THE CONCRETE IN SOME CASES. THE PHENOMENON NORMALLY APPEARS AT JOINTS AND CRACKS. RECENTLY IT WAS SUSPECTED THAT SULFATE REACTION MAY BE CONTRIBUTING IN THIS DETERIORATION. SUSPICION WAS AROUSED WHEN A CONCRETE PAVEMENT WAS REMOVED DURING NEW CONSTRUCTION IN AN AREA WHERE THE PRESENCE OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF SULFATES WAS KNOWN TO EXIST IN THE NATIVE SURROUNDING SOIL. TESTS AND INVESTIGATIONS CONFIRMED THE BELIEF THAT THESE SULFATES, TRANSPORTED BY SURFACE WATER, COMBINED WITH THE TRICALCIUM ALUMINATE IN THE PORTLAND CEMENT USED IN THE CONCRETE TO PRODUCE CALCIUM SULFOALUMINATE CRYSTALS /ETTRINGITE/. THESE CRYSTALS THEN GROW IN VOLUME, RESULTING IN OVERSTRESSING AND DISINTEGRATION OF THE CONCRETE. AS A RESULT OF THIS FINDING, THE TESTING DIVISION HAS INTENSIFIED ITS EFFORTS TOWARD AN INVESTIGATION OF CONCRETE DETERIORATION RESULTING FROM SULFATE ATTACK. VARIOUS CONCRETE PAVEMENTS AND SOME CONCRETE PARKING LOTS IN WIDELY SEPARATED AREAS OF THE STATE HAVE BEEN AND ARE BEING EXAMINED FOR EVIDENCE OF SULFATE ATTACK. RESULTS OF THESE STUDIES ARE REPORTED IN THIS PAPER. /AUTHOR/
- Record URL:
-
Supplemental Notes:
- Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
-
Authors:
- Lossing, Fay A
-
Discussers:
- Newton Jr, Howard H
- Sherwood, W Cullen
- Publication Date: 1966
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 88-107
- Monograph Title: Symposium on Effects of Aggressive Fluids on Concrete
-
Serial:
- Highway Research Record
- Issue Number: 113
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Block cracking; Color; Concrete; Concrete pavements; Corrosion; Crash investigation; Deterioration; Ettringite; Pavements; Portland cement concrete; Studies; Sulfates; Tricalcium aluminate
- Uncontrolled Terms: Deteriorated concrete; Discoloration; Scaling
- Geographic Terms: Mississippi
- Old TRIS Terms: Highway pavement
- Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00206248
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Nov 18 1994 12:00AM