Assessment of Concrete Impairments over Time Triggered by DEF
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 8
Abstract
Expansive reactions such as delayed ettringite formation (DEF) can lead to mechanical and microstructural changes in concrete, resulting in considerable damage to the structures. DEF usually occurs in concrete that has reached a high temperature after being exposed to moisture. This paper presents the assessment of concretes with and without pozzolan in laboratory in order to monitor and evaluate expansions, as well as their main properties and characteristics over a period of 12 months, after undergoing DEF at a temperature of 85°C and with drying-wetting cycles. An increase in expansion caused by DEF was tracked through a series of microscopical observations, along with evaluations of concrete deterioration. Additional tools, such as the stiffness damage test (SDT) and deteriorated damage index (DRI), were also employed in the experiments. Furthermore, an overall approach to DEF was adopted, together with a performance appraisal based on data from the research program and a detailed analysis to quantify the extent of the damage to concretes and to estimate the different deterioration levels.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all of the data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Instituto Meridional (IMED)—Passo Fundo/RS Campus, Fundação Meridional and Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A for their assistance. This work has also been given infrastructural support by IMED and ELETROBRAS Furnas. This research was based on a P&D Project from ANEEL (Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency) and supported by Furnas Centrais Elétricas S. A. with the cooperation of IMED—P&D No. 0394-1504/2015.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 8 • August 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 11, 2022
Accepted: Dec 29, 2022
Published online: May 26, 2023
Published in print: Aug 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Oct 26, 2023
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