DETERIORATION OF SOME CONCRETE STRUCTURES OF A SULFURIC ACID PLANT

THE PAPER DESCRIBES AN INVESTIGATION OF DETERIORATED CONCRETE STRUCTURES OF A SULFURIC ACID PLANT, INCLUDING SOME ISOLATED CONCRETE STRUCTURES, THE FOUNDATION OF AN ACID SILO, AND A HARBOR QUAY FOR STORAGE OF PYRITES. THIN-SECTION EXAMINATIONS OF SAMPLES OF THE CONCRETE SHOWED THAT THE CEMENT PASTE HAD BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A MICROCYSTALLINE POROUS SUBSTANCE RESEMBLING GYPSUM. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE GROUNDWATER, OF THE WATER IN THE HARBOR, AND OF THE WATER IN A DITCH OF THE QUAY REVEALED A HIGH CONTENT OF IRON (+2) IONS. THE ATMOSPHERE SMELLED OF SULFUR DIOXIDE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CONCRETE IS PROBABLY DETERIORATED BY THE ATTACK CAUSED BY: (1) SULFUR TRIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE COMBINING WITH WATER, (2) SULFURIC ACID WASTE, AND (3) THE LOWERING OF PH IN THE DISINTEGRATION OF PYRITES. LOW-TRICALCIUM ALUMINATE CEMENT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR THE FUTURE CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES AT THE PLANT. /AUTHOR/

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  • Corporate Authors:

    Highway Research Board (HRB)

    Washington, DC   
  • Authors:
    • Idorn, G M
    • Krogh, H
  • Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: pp 65-66
  • Monograph Title: Observations of the performance of concrete in service
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00213699
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Jul 21 1970 12:00AM