Alkali Aggregate Reaction

Guidelines on Minimising the Risk of Damage to Concrete Structures in Australia

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Cement and Concrete Association of Australia

Alkali Aggregate Reaction

Guidelines on Minimising the Risk of Damage to Concrete Structures in Australia

This is a free 7 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

A joint publication of Cement and Concrete Association of Australia and Standards Australia

C&CAA T47 SAA HB791996 ISBN 0 7337 0469 7

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New South wAleS head office 1 The Crescent Homebush 2140 (PO Box 1055 Strathfield 2135) Telephone Administration 02 746 4700 Information Centre 02 746 4748 Sales Australian Standards 02 746 4600 International Standards 02 746 4666 Asset Services 02 746 4646 Facsimile All Administration 02 746 8450 All Sales 02 746 3333 Newcastle 51 King Street Newcastle 2300 Telephone 049 29 2477 Facsimile 049 29 3540 QueeNSlAND 67 St Pauls Terrace Spring Hill 4000 Telephone 07 3831 8605 Facsimile 07 3832 2140 ViCtoRiA 1925 Raglan Street South Melbourne 3205 Telephone 03 9693 3500 Facsimile 03 9696 1319 South AuStRAliA 63 Greenhill Road Wayville 5034 Telephone 08 373 4140 Facsimile 08 373 4124 weSteRN AuStRAliA 1274 Hay Street West Perth 6005 Telephone 09 321 8797 Facsimile 09 321 2929 NoRtheRN teRRitoRy AGeNCy Territory Construction Association 191 Stuart Highway Parap 0820 Telephone 08 8981 9666 Facsimile 08 8941 0275 AuStRAliAN CApitAl teRRitoRy Shop 5 Gallery Level The Boulevarde Canberra 2601 Telephone 06 249 8990 Facsimile 06 249 8989 tASMANiA 66 Burnett Street North Hobart 7000 Telephone 002 31 5885 Facsimile 002 31 5886

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Standards Australia is an independent not-forprofit organisation, established in 1922. It operates formally under a Royal Charter as the Standards Association of Australia and has recognition as the peak Standards body in Australia through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commonwealth Government. The essence of its operation is to bring together individuals and organisations committed to a common objective to establish Australian Standards as national benchmarks for products and services so as to enhance quality of life and industry efficiency. Standards Australia has an important role internationally. It is responsible for ensuring that the Australian viewpoint is considered in the formulation of International Standards and that latest international experience is incorporated in Australian Standards. This role is vital in assisting Australian industry to compete in international markets. Standards Australia is the national member of the International Organization for Standardization ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission IEC.

Cement and Concrete Association of Australia

NAtioNAl offiCe 25 Berry Street North Sydney NSW 2060 Telephone 02 9923 1244 Facsimile 02 9923 1925 New South wAleS Suite 30133 Berry Street North Sydney 2060 Telephone 02 9929 5866 Facsimile 02 9954 0068 QueeNSlAND IBM Centre 348 Edward Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone 07 3831 3288 Facsimile 07 3839 6005
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South AuStRAliA Station Place Hindmarsh 5007 Telephone 08 346 9722 Facsimile 08 346 9215 tASMANiA 59 Sandy Bay Road Battery Point 7004 Telephone 002 34 6194 Facsimile 002 24 1488 ViCtoRiA 60 Albert Road South Melbourne 3205 Telephone 03 9699 4488 Facsimile 03 9696 4049 weSteRN AuStRAliA 11 Harvest Terrace West Perth 6005 Telephone 09 321 5102 Facsimile 09 321 2499

The Cement and Concrete Association of Australia is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1928 and committed to serving the Australian construction community. The Association is acknowledged nationally and internationally as Australia's foremost cement and concrete information body taking a leading role in education and training, research and development, technical information and advisory services, and being a significant contributor to the preparation of Codes and Standards affecting building and building materials. The Association's principle aims are to protect and extend the uses of cement, concrete and cement-based products by advancing knowledge, skill and professionalism in Australian concrete construction and by promoting continual awareness of products, their energy-efficient properties and their uses, and of the contribution the industry makes towards a better environment.

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Cement and Concrete Association of Australia 1996 and Standards Australia 1996 Except where the Copyright Act allows otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing of both the Cement and Concrete Association of Australia and Standards Australia. The information provided in this publication is intended for general guidance only and in no way replaces the services of professional consultants on particular projects. No liability can therefore be accepted by the Cement and Concrete Association of Australia or Standards Australia for its use.

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CONTENTS

pRefACe iNtRoDuCtioN

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Chapter 1 StRuCtuReS AND eNViRoNMeNtS 1.1 introduction 1 1.2 Susceptible Structures and environments 1 1.3 incidence of Significant Damage Due to AAR in Australia 3 1.4 AAR-Related Distress 3 1.5 Structural effects of AAR on Concrete 4 1.5.1 General 4 1.5.2 Effect on Concrete Properties 4 1.5.3 Effect on Concrete Elements 5 1.5.4 Effect on the Structure 5 1.6 Serviceability effects of AAR 5 1.6.1 General 5 1.6.2 Primary Effects 6 1.6.3 Secondary Effects 6 Chapter 2 eVAluAtioN of AGGReGAteS 2.1 introduction 2.2 Service history 2.3 petrographic examination 2.4 evaluation of Reaction potential by petrology 2.5 evaluation of Reaction potential by physical or Chemical testing 2.5.1 Aggregates Having Potential for Substantial AAR 2.5.2 Aggregates Having Potential for Mild or Slow AAR 2.5.3 Available Test Methods 2.6 Aggregate Source Quality Control

Appendix A A GeNeRAl ReView of AAR iN Appendix A CoNCRete A1 introduction A2 Nature of the Reaction A3 Conditions Necessary for expansive Reaction A4 environmental influences A5 Self-limitation A6 Minimising the Risk of Damage Due to AAR An international perspective A6.1 General A6.2 Use of Non-reactive Aggregates A6.3 Use of Low-alkali Cement A6.4 Limiting the Alkali Content of Concrete A6.5 Use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials A6.6 Preventing Moisture Ingress A6.7 Use of Lithium Salts Appendix B teStS to eVAluAte poteNtiAl Appendix B AlkAli ReACtiVity of Appendix B AGGReGAteS B1 General B2 existing Standard test procedures B2.1 Petrographic Examination (ASTM C295) B2.2 Chemical Method Mielenz Test (ASTM C289, AS 1141 Section 39) B2.3 Mortar Bar Test (ASTM C227, AS 1141 Section 38) B2.4 Concrete Prism Test (CSA Test Method A23.2-14A) B3 Accelerated tests in Australia B3.1 General B3.2 The CSIRO Method (Rapid Mortar Bar) B3.3 The Queensland Department of Transport Method (Concrete Prism) (Patented Accelerated Test) B3.4 The Concrete Prism Test Job Mix B4 other Accelerated test procedures B4.1 Accelerated Mortar Bar Method (NBRI Method, ASTM C1260 and CSA A23.2-25A Methods) B4.2 Rapid Concrete Core Test (Duggan Expansion Test) B5 Concluding Comment RefeReNCeS BiBlioGRAphy

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7 7 7 9 9 9 9 10 10

Chapter 3 MiNiMiSiNG the RiSk of DAMAGe Chapter 3 Due to AAR iN CoNCRete Chapter 3 StRuCtuReS 3.1 introduction 12 3.2 proposed Structures 12 3.2.1 General 12 3.2.2 Design Concept 12 3.2.3 Alkali Control 12 3.2.4 Use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials 13 3.2.5 Accelerated Assessment of Proposed Mixes 16 3.3 existing Structures 16 3.3.1 Diagnosis 16 3.3.2 Management of Affected Structures 18

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PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

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In 1994, a National Working Group was established by the Cement and Concrete Association of Australia to consider the phenomenon of alkali aggregate reaction (AAR) in concrete and make recommendations for its practical management in Australia, and in particular to provide guidance for the specification of future work. The Working Group consisted of representatives of designers, specifiers, asset owners, materials suppliers, researchers and scientists. The resulting publication covering the current state of knowledge of AAR in Australia focuses on providing advice on the assessment of the risk of damage due to AAR and the appropriate strategies to minimise that risk. It also presents an overview of AAR in concrete so that the topic can be understood and discussed in a rational manner, allowing the potentially harmful reactions to be identified and appropriately dealt with. In writing the Guidelines, the Working Group drew not only on the knowledge and experience of its members and the research carried out in Australia and overseas but also on that of their peers from all over Australia. The Guidelines, in draft form, were reviewed by more than 100 construction-industry people considered to be experts in their fields. This process ensured that the document is applicable nationally and reflects the current knowledge and experience available in Australia. The following organisations and interest groups were represented on the Working Group: Australian Pre-mixed Concrete Association AUSTROADS Cement and Concrete Association of Australia Crushed Stone Association (Qld) CSIRO Quarry Masters Association Standards Australia Various Interest Groups in NSW Tasmania WA.

BACkGRouND A small proportion of concrete throughout the world has suffered from deterioration due, primarily, to chemical attack. An even smaller proportion suffers deterioration associated with chemical reactions between cement constituents and some constituents present in the aggregate. Known as alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR), it can induce expansion and cracking in concrete, particularly in high-strength concrete members exposed to external moisture. While the cracking can be visually severe, there is some disagreement amongst engineers regarding the structural consequences of the reaction. AAR was first recognised as a problem in North America in 1940 when Stanton(1) reported that the expansion and cracking of concrete in some structures in California was related to a chemical reaction between the alkalies in the cement and certain mineral constituents of the aggregate. As a result of Stanton's work, the US Bureau of Reclamation, in 1941, placed an upper limit of 0.60% by mass on the alkali content of the cement used in its more important projects after establishing that damage in two concrete dams was due to AAR. However, many of the concrete structures that had cracked in the 1930s, including the two dams, are still performing satisfactorily today(2). Since the problem was first reported in North America in 1940, other cases of AAR were reported in other countries; in Denmark (early 1950s), in Germany (early 1960s), in the UK (mid 1970s) and Japan (early 1980s). Also in Canada, France, New Zealand and South Africa. Since 1974, nine international conferences have been held on this topic and the increased number of papers in more-recent conferences indicate that despite half a century of research, the various aspects of AAR are yet to be fully understood. In Australia, research work on AAR was conducted by CSIRO in the 1940s and 1950s by Alderman, Vivian and others(3,4). Their work showed that delayed reaction occurred between cement and cryptocrystalline quartz and that rocks containing opaline silica were highly reactive. It was also concluded that the use of low-alkali cement may not solve the problem if the aggregate is reactive. No work was reported in the 1960s or 1970s. CSIRO researchers identified a case of AAR in a dam in Victoria in 1981(5), a bridge in Perth in 1983(6) and another dam in 1988(7). Several bridges in Queensland were reported in 1988 to exhibit cracking due to AAR(8). Since then, damage due to AAR has been identified in other structures which may not be reported in the open literature.

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HB 79-1996, Alkali Aggregate reaction - Guidelines on Minimising the Risk of Damage to Concrete Structures in Australia

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