Influence of Limestone Mineral Addition in Cements on the Efficacy of SCMs in Mitigating Alkali-Silica Reaction Assessed by Accelerated Mortar Bar Test
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 6
Abstract
This study evaluates the effect of limestone mineral addition in cement on the efficacy of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in mitigating alkali-silica reaction (ASR) using the accelerated mortar bar test (AMBT). Mortars with and without SCMs were prepared by substituting portions of 0% limestone general portland (GP) cement with increasing amounts of limestone. Mortars with SCMs (25% fly ash or 65% slag) exhibit negligible expansion regardless of the limestone content in the binder, whereas mortars without SCMs exhibit high and almost identical expansion for all limestone substitutions. The expansion results show that limestone does not aggravate ASR, has no detrimental effect on the efficacy of SCMs in ASR mitigation, and likewise has no observable ASR-mitigating properties under the test conditions. The calcium silicate hydrate () composition is not affected by the amount of limestone, which suggests that limestone has no influence on the alkali uptake in the . This is supported by the pore solution analysis results where SCMs (both fly ash and slag) have drastically reduced the pore solution alkali concentration over time, whereas limestone substitution only resulted in an alkali reduction equivalent to the substitution (dilution). Moreover, the carboaluminate phases formed when limestone is present were observed to decompose under AMBT conditions; thus, their influence on ASR mitigation is not possible to discern from this study.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This study is a part of University of Technology Sydney research funded through Australian Research Council Research Hub for Nanoscience Based Construction Materials Manufacturing (NANOCOMM) with the support of Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA). This work would also not have been possible without laboratory equipment provided by Laboratory of Construction Materials at EPFL Switzerland courtesy of Professor Karen Scrivener.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 6 • June 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 28, 2020
Accepted: Oct 27, 2020
Published online: Mar 25, 2021
Published in print: Jun 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Aug 25, 2021
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