LABORATORY EVALUATION OF CONCRETE SEALERS FOR VERTICAL HIGHWAY STRUCTURES. FINAL REPORT

A laboratory test method is developed to evaluate concrete liquid surface sealers for vertical highway structures. The method includes: a) A Chloride Intrusion Screening Test wherein sets of 10 concrete prisms per sealer are partially immersed in salt brine. One specimen per set is removed periodically and tested for chloride content using an adaptation of the rapid, in-situ method devised at Kansas DOT for bridge decks. b) A Water Absorption-Water Vapor Transmission Test. c) A Freeze-Thaw Resistance Test as per ASTM C-666, Procedure A, with concrete durability measured by the resonant frequency technique. The same specimen configuration is used in all phases of the test program. The findings of the study indicate that: 1) The Chloride Content vs. Time relationship for coated concrete is non-linear and sealer-dependent. Specimen set chloride content averaged over the course of the immersion period rather at its end thus provides a more meaningful comparison of sealer performance. 2) The resonant frequency test is the only reliable method of measuring the durability of coated concrete under freeze-thaw cycling. The test is applicable to penetrating and hard-curing, film-forming sealers. Rhode Island concrete sealer specifications are revised to incorporate the results of the present study. Twelve currently available sealers are evaluated.

• Corporate Authors:

  Rhode Island Department of Transportation

  State Office Building, 2 Capitol Hill
  Providence, RI  United States  02903

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Fera, J D
• Publication Date: 1991-1

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 89 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Absorption; Chloride content; Concrete bridges; Concrete structures; Freeze thaw durability; Laboratory tests; Resonance frequency; Sealing compounds; Specifications; Test procedures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Water absorption
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I35: Miscellaneous Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00611911
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RI-RD-90-1, RI-DOT-M-90-1
• Contract Numbers: 121-1213
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 1996 12:00AM