The Effect of Alkali on Concrete

To some extent, this paper is a continuation of the informal discussion on “Irrigation” which took place at the Annual Convention of the Society, held in Denver, Colo., in June, 1908.

In that discussion some reference was made to the introduction of more permanent structures in irrigation work; that, for such, concrete was being used extensively; and that, in some smaller structures, failures had occurred, in the form of crumbling or disintegration, due, presumably, to the action of the alkali frequently present both in the soil and in the water, and resulting from chemical reactions between the sulphates in these waters and the cement, which reactions may not yet be fully understood and are under investigation. Since tha't time the subject has received more than passing attention from the Profession and the industry at large, as shown by more or less extended comments in the technical and trade journals.