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    Batepola Bac
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    This document discusses sulfate attack and delayed ettringite formation in concrete. Sulfate attack occurs when sulfates react with compounds in cement, like C3A, forming ettringite or monosulfate which can cause expansion. To prevent this, the cement should have low C3A content (<8%), low water-to-cement ratio (<0.45), and include pozzolans. Delayed ettringite formation is caused by ettringite precipitating after the concrete cools from its curing temperature, leading to cracking as it forms. Proper curing can prevent this internal sulfate attack issue. Testing of concrete over 40 years showed expansion levels depend on the cement's

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    This document discusses sulfate attack and delayed ettringite formation in concrete. Sulfate attack occurs when sulfates react with compounds in cement, like C3A, forming ettringite or monosulfate which can cause expansion. To prevent this, the cement should have low C3A content (<8%), low water-to-cement ratio (<0.45), and include pozzolans. Delayed ettringite formation is caused by ettringite precipitating after the concrete cools from its curing temperature, leading to cracking as it forms. Proper curing can prevent this internal sulfate attack issue. Testing of concrete over 40 years showed expansion levels depend on the cement's

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    19 views13 pages

    Sulfate Attack

    Uploaded by

    Batepola Bac
    This document discusses sulfate attack and delayed ettringite formation in concrete. Sulfate attack occurs when sulfates react with compounds in cement, like C3A, forming ettringite or monosulfate which can cause expansion. To prevent this, the cement should have low C3A content (<8%), low water-to-cement ratio (<0.45), and include pozzolans. Delayed ettringite formation is caused by ettringite precipitating after the concrete cools from its curing temperature, leading to cracking as it forms. Proper curing can prevent this internal sulfate attack issue. Testing of concrete over 40 years showed expansion levels depend on the cement's

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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    of 13

    Sulfate attack

    Reaction
    C3A + gypsum C3A.3C$.H32 (ettringite)
    In the presence of sulfates

    C3A.C$.H18 (monosulfate)

    Solution
    Cement with low C3A (less than 8%) Low w/c (less than 0.45) Pozzolan

    Sulfate Resistance
    40 years of testing

    Equao

    exp = 0.0148C ( 3A + 1)

    0.325

    0.94wc T

    Results
    0.5

    Expansion (%)

    0.4

    0.3

    0.2 #1015 (w/c=0.49 and 3C A= 4.18%) 0.1 #1017 (w/c = 0.49 and A C = 4.18%)
    3

    new model 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 Time (years)

    Important Result
    50

    c3a = 0 c3a = 1.8 3 < c3a < 4 4< c3a < 5 5< c3a < 6 6 < c3a < 7 7 <c3a < 8

    specimens did not fail

    Time Before Failure (year)

    40

    30 Safe domain 20

    10

    0 0.35

    0.4

    0.45

    0.5

    0.55

    0.6

    0.65

    0.7

    0.75

    Water-to-Cement Ratio

    Internal sulfate attack


    In the 1980s, German researchers reported internal sulfate attack in heat-cured concrete products. The typical manifestation of distress is the presence of voids around the coarse aggregate, indicating expansion of the cement paste. Often these voids are filled with ettringite crystals, which also often fill other voids and cracks in the matrix. Because of the late precipitation of ettringite, this phenomenon is called delayed ettringite formation.

    Mechanism
    Ettringite does not precipitates when the cement paste is cured at temperatures exceeding 70 C. Instead, calcium monosulfoaluminate is formed with much of the sulfate adsorbed in the C-S-H. Later, when the concrete cools down to ambient temperature the calcium monosulfoaluminate is transformed into poorly crystalline ettringite which, on exposure to high humidity, causes an expansion and microcracking in the matrix and generates a gap around the aggregate. With time and in the presence of moisture, large crystals of ettringite develop from the smaller ones.

    Mechanism

    Expansion in the paste caused by DEF originates cracks in the paste and at the aggregate-cement paste interface. Subsequently, ettringite recrystallises in the cracks from sub-microscopic crystals dispersed through the paste.

    DEF

    DEF

    DEF

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