Abrasion Resistance 

of Concrete

K. Divakar
2016233041
What does Abrasion Resistance mean?
Abrasion resistance is a property that allows a material to resist
wear. The abrasion resistance of a material helps to withstand
mechanical action and tends to protect the removal of materials from its
surface. This ability helps to keep the material's original structure and
look. 

Factors affecting Abrasion Resistance:

• Quality of aggregates
• Compressive strength
• Mixture proportioning
• Concrete type
• Finishing procedures
• Curing
• Surface treatment
Current Test Methods
1. Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Concrete by Sand Blasting
(ASTM C 418)
2. Testing Drilled Cores and Sawed Beams of Concrete (ASTM C 944)
3. Test Method for Abrasion Resistance Of Concrete –Underwater
Method (ASTM C 1138)
4. Test Method for Horizontal Concrete Surfaces (ASTM C 779):
Revolving-disk machine
Dressing wheel machine
Ball bearing machine
 Abrasion Resistance of Concrete by
Sandblasting
Preparation of Specimens
Immerse the specimens in water for 24 hr and then surface dry with a
damp cloth to obtain a saturated, surface-dry condition at the time of
test.
Procedure:
 Place the specimen with the surface to be tested normal to the nozzle
axis and at a distance of 75±2.5 mm from the end.
 Expose the surface to the blast for a period of 1 min. Repeat this on at
least eight different spots on the surface.
 Determine the abraded volume by filling the abrasion cavities with an
oil base modeling clay.
 Press the clay into the cavities manually with a moderate amount of
finger pressure and level flush with a straight edge.
 Determine the mass of the clay supply before and after the cavities are
filled to the instead of removing the clay from the filled cavities.
Repeat filling with clay at least once on each specimen to ensure
reproducible results.
Calculation
Calculate the mass of clay W:
W = Wi – Wf
Calculate the specific gravity of clay D:
D = B/(B –C)
Calculate the volume of clay V:
V =W/D
Calculate abrasion coefficient loss on a volumetric basis Ac,
Ac = V/A
where:
Wi = initial mass of clay
Wf = final mass of clay
B = mass of clay in air, g
C = mass of clay in water, g
W = mass of clay in cavity
D = specific gravity of clay
Ac = abrasion coefficient
A = area of surface abraded.
 Abrasion Resistance of Concrete
(Underwater Method)
Underwater method was originally developed by Liu in 1980 for
evaluating the resistance of concrete surface subjected to abrasion
action of water particles on hydraulic structures such as stilling
basin, spillways etc.
Procedure
 Place the specimen in the test container with the surface to be tested facing up
and the seating blocks in place.
 Position the specimen so that its surface is normal to the drill shaft and the
center of the specimen coincides with the drill shaft.
 Mount the agitation paddle in the drill press. The bottom of the agitation
paddle shall be 38±5 mm above the surface of the specimen.
 Determine and record the mass of the abrasive charge to the nearest 10 g.
Place it on the surface of the specimen and add water of the same type as used
in the saturation period to 165±5 mm above the surface of the specimen.
 Start the paddle rotating and check that the paddle is rotating at the required
speed (1200rpm) with the paddle immersed.
 Remove the specimen from the test container at the end of every 12 hr of
operation. Flush off the abraded material and surface dry. Determine and
record the mass of the specimen in air and in water.
 The standard test shall consist of six 12hr periods for a total of 72 hr.
Calculation
Calculate the abrasion loss as follows:

Vt =
VLt = Vi - Vt
where:
Wair = mass of the specimen in air at the desired time ,kg
Wwater = mass of the specimen in water at the desired time, kg
Gw = unit weight of water kg/m3
VLt = volume of material lost by abrasion, m3
Vi = volume of specimen before testing, m3, and
Vt = volume of the specimen at the end of the test, m3.
Conclusion:
These test methods serve to,
1. Evaluate the quality of concrete surfaces
2. Evaluate specific effects of variables such as concrete making
materials, curing, finishing procedures, surface hardeners.
3. Compare various types of concrete surfaces under simulated
abrasion conditions
4. Verify products to meet specifications.
Thank you