Tools for assessing damage in concrete affected by AAR coming from fine and coarse aggregates

Abstract

Over the last few years, comprehensive management programs for the diagnosis and prognosis of alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) in aging concrete structures were developed in North America, based on a series of laboratory test procedures. Although promising, these lab-procedures presented several parameters whose impacts were not completely understood, which significantly reduced their applicability for the appraisal of deteriorated concrete structures in service. In this context, it has been suggested that two lab-tools, the Stiffness Damage Test (SDT) and the Damage Rating Index (DRI) could reliably assess the condition of concrete affected by AAR. This paper presents the condition assessment of 25, 35 and 45 MPa AAR affected concrete specimens incorporating fine and coarse reactive aggregates and presenting different distress degrees (i.e. expansion levels from 0.05 to 0.30%) through the use of an innovative multi-level approach. Results show that both SDT and DRI are suitable for assessing damage in AAR affected concrete through their output parameters. Yet, they present a complementary character, which illustrates the need for a multi-level approach.