Abrasion Resistance on Concrete

Content:
 Introduction
 Reason of occurrence/ Damages
 Factor effecting the abrasion of concrete
 Tests involved
 Causes
 Remedial measures
 Abrasion Resistance on Concrete
Abrasion:

Basic Meaning of Abrasion is the process of scraping or wearing something

away.

Abrasion Resistance:
Abrasion resistance is a property of harden concrete surface to be worn
away by abrasive forces.
or
Abrasion resistance is an ability of concrete surface against abrasive actions
(e. g. rubbing, rolling, sliding, friction forces and impact forces)
Why Abrasion damage occur?

 Abrasion damage occurs when the surface of concrete is

unable to resist wear caused by rubbing and friction. As
the outer paste of concrete wears, the fine and coarse
aggregate are exposed and abrasion and impact will cause
additional degradation that is related to aggregate-to-
paste bond strength and hardness of the aggregate.
Why Abrasion damage occur? (Continue)

 Although wind-borne particles can cause abrasion of concrete,

the two most damaging forms of abrasion occur on:
o vehicular traffic surfaces
o Hydraulic structures, such as dams, spillways, and tunnels.
Abrasion damage
 Vehicular traffic surfaces:
Abrasion of floors and pavements may result from production
operations or vehicular traffic. Many industrial floors are
subjected to abrasion by steel or hard rubber wheeled traffic,
which can cause significant rutting.
Abrasion damage (Continue)
 Vehicular traffic surfaces:
Tire chains and studded snow tires cause considerable wear to
concrete surfaces. In the case of tire chains, wear is caused by
flailing and scuffing as the rotating tire brings the metal in
contact with the concrete surface.
Abrasion damage (Continue)
 Vehicular traffic surfaces:
Tire chains and studded snow tires cause considerable wear to
concrete surfaces.
Abrasion damage.(Continue)
o Hydraulic structures:
Abrasion damage in hydraulic structures is caused by the abrasive
effects of waterborne silt, sand, gravel, rocks, ice, and other
debris impinging on the concrete surface.
Abrasion damage.(Continue)
o Hydraulic structures:
Most of the abrasion damage is caused by the action of water-
borne particles (silt, sand, gravel, and other solid) impacting and
rolling against the concrete surface during hydraulic structure
operation.
Abrasion damage.(Continue)
o Hydraulic structures:
Spillway aprons, stilling basins, sluiceways, drainage conduits or culverts,
and tunnel linings are particularly susceptible to abrasion erosion.
Abrasion erosion is readily recognized by its smooth, worn appearance,
which is distinguished from the small holes and pits formed by cavitation
erosion.
Factor effecting the Abrasion of concrete
 W/C Ratio
 Low to moderately w/c ratio ensure the decrease of free water in
concrete. This improves concrete compactness and reduces
permeability which consequently improves concrete strength and
hence abrasion resistance.
 W/C ratio can be decreased by using water-reducing admixtures,
mixture proportions to reduce bleeding, the timing of finishing
operations that avoid the addition of water during troweling, and
vacuum dewatering.
Factor effecting the Abrasion of concrete
 Well-Graded Aggregate
 The use of well-graded fine and coarse aggregate can optimize
workability and minimize water content. This would improve concrete
strength considerably
Factor effecting the Abrasion of concrete
 Air Content
 Not only does air content leads to the reduction of concrete strength
but also contributes to concrete surface delamination and blistering
especially when finishing works are times improperly.
 So, air content should not be considered for concrete when abrasion
resistance is required unless special considerations are followed. For
instance, hard troweling of the surface should not be done on
concrete having a total air content greater than 3 percent.
Factor effecting the Abrasion of concrete
 Proper curing procedure
 Proper curing procedure is a major element in the construction of floor
surfaces with satisfactory abrasion resistance. This is because it contributes
to increased concrete strength and toughness.
 These characteristics are the most important factors for ensuring resistance
to surface abrasion. Keeping concrete continuously wet is a desired curing
regime for the majority of concrete floors, as per American concrete
institute.
Factor effecting the Abrasion of concrete
 Use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials
 It is demonstrated that, if properly and adequately cured,
polymer concrete,
 polymer-impregnated concrete
 epoxy concrete,
 calcium aluminate cement,
 and calcium sulfoaluminate cement provide exceptional
abrasion resistance.
Factor effecting the Abrasion of concrete
 Two-course Floors
 The use of two-course floors using high strength topping in excess of
40MPa would provide excellent abrasion resistance.
 This type of floor is more expensive compared with other
conventional floors. It should be known that the two-course floor is
used when abrasion and impact resistance is needed.
Factor effecting the Abrasion of concrete
 Other methods to achieve abrasion-resistant surface.
 Addition of fly ash up to 30% has been found to increase abrasion
resistance
 Addition of fibres (steel, polypropylene)
 Why is Abrasion Testing Significant?

Abrasion testing determines the relative quality, toughness, and

durability of mineral aggregates subjected to impact and
abrasion. Values derived from both the Micro Deval and the L.A.
Abrasion tests offer information about the performance of
aggregate in use.

This testing offers insight into how asphalt and concrete

aggregates will stand up to wear and tear over time. It’s also a
good indicator of changing properties in an aggregate source as
part of quality control or quality assurance program.
 What is the Loss Angeles Abrasion Test?

The Los Angeles (L.A.) Abrasion Test is widely used as an

indicator of the relative quality of aggregates. (AASHTO T 96 or
ASTM C 131). It measures the degradation of standard gradings of
aggregates when subjected to abrasion and impact in a rotating
steel drum with an abrasive charge of steel balls.

The drum is fitted with an internal shelf that lifts and drops the
charge and sample with each revolution, generating impact
forces. After the machine has completed the required rpm,
contents are removed and percent loss is measured..
How Does the L.A. Abrasion Test Work?
 How Does the L.A. Abrasion Test Work?

1. A sample is prepared by separating into individual size

fractions of the required masses.

2. The sample of specifically sized aggregates and the abrasive

charge is placed in the L.A. Abrasion Machine and rotated at
30-33rpm.

3. The sample is removed and washed over a No. 12 (1.70mm)

sieve and placed in an oven to dry.
 How Does the L.A. Abrasion Test Work?

4. The percent loss or the difference between the original mass

and the final mass is calculated.

5. An L.A. Abrasion loss value of 40 indicates that 40% of the

original sample
 Determination of Los Angeles Abrasion Value

The Los Angeles abrasion test on aggregates are done for

following purposes:

1. To determine the Los Angeles abrasion value.

2. To find the suitability of aggregates for use in road

construction.
 Procedure for Los Angeles Test

1. The test sample consists of clean aggregates dried in oven at

105° - 110°C.

2. Take 5 kg of sample for gradings.

3. Choose the abrasive charge as per specification.

4. Place the aggregates and abrasive charge on the cylinder and

fix the cover.
 Procedure for Los Angeles Test

1. Rotate the machine at a speed of 30 to 33 revolutions per minute. The

number of revolutions is 500. The machine should be balanced and
driven such that there is uniform peripheral speed.

2. The machine is stopped after the desired number of revolutions and

material is discharged to a tray.

3. The entire stone dust is sieved on 1.70 mm IS sieve.

4. The material coarser than 1.7mm size is weighed correct to one gram.
 Observations of Los Angeles Test

1. Original weight of aggregate sample = W1 g

2. Weight of aggregate sample retained = W2 g

3. Weight passing 1.7mm IS sieve = W1 - W2 g

4. Abrasion Value = (W1 - W2 ) / W1 X 100 Results Los Angeles

Abrasion Value .
 Recommended Los Angeles Test Values

1. According IRC specifications

 What is the Micro-Deval Test?

In recent years, the Micro-Deval Test has gained acceptance and

popularity as an economical and accurate procedure for aggregate
abrasion testing.

The basis for this method was developed in France during the 1960s
and provides a measure of toughness, abrasion resistance, and
durability of mineral aggregates as they are ground with steel balls
in the presence of water.
How Does the Micro-Deval Test Work?
 How Does the Micro-Deval Test Work?

A sample is prepared by separating into individual size fractions of

the required masses. Typically prepared sample sizes are 500g for
fine aggregate and 1,500g for coarse aggregate.
The sample is immersed in tap water for a minimum of 1 hour in the
Micro-Deval Jar or other suitable container.
An abrasive charge of magnetic stainless steel balls is added to the
prepared test sample with the water. The operator then secures the
cover and places the Micro-Deval Jar on the machine.
The Micro-Deval machine is set to rotate the jars at 100rpm for a
specified length of time or for a specified total number of
revolutions.
 How Does the Micro-Deval Test Work?

At completion, the sample is carefully washed over a specified sieve

and percentage loss is determined by comparing the oven-dried
mass of the retained sample to the original total sample weight.
The 75µm (No. 200) sieve is used for fine aggregates, and a 1.18mm
(No. 16) sieve is used for coarse fractions.

Micro-Deval testing requires a supply of calibration aggregate,

which may be developed from a local source. The calibration
aggregate must be compared through testing to a Laboratory
Reference Aggregate, available from the Ontario, Canada Ministry of
Transportation
 What Are The Benefits? (Comparison)

Both the L.A. Abrasion Test and the Micro-Deval Test offer unique
benefits. Smaller equipment size, lower sample quantities, and a
simple procedure are just a few benefits to using the Micro-Deval
Test.

It’s also possible for operators to run two samples through a

Micro-Deval Apparatus simultaneously, for increased efficiency and
cost-effectiveness.
 Remedies

 Abrasion losses are decreasing with increasing cement content.

 Abrasion increases with an increase in the W/C ratio for the
same cement content.
 Abrasion is decreasing as the increase in the compressive
strength and density
 The size of aggregate and curing time was observed to be
dominant variables besides the compression strength (or w/c
ratio).
 It was observed that the size of aggregate plays an important
role in the rate of abrasion (mainly in the case of impact
loading).
 Remedies

 Due to the higher stiffness of smaller aggregates, they are less

prone to damage in impact loading, however, it is unclear why very
small particles could be damaged easily.
 The porosity of the top layer is another main factor controlling the
abrasion of concrete (Sadegzahed, 1987).
 A dense, well-cured surface has higher hardness.
 It is also common practice to coat the abrasion-prone surface with
resistant material. For example, in a bridge, a flexible material
(bitumen) is used while in industries a harder surface is made with
the addition of finer particles (e.g. silica).
•
 References:

1. ASTM C1138 (1997), Standard test method for abrasion resistance of concrete (Underwater
Method), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, 4pp.

2. ASTM C779 (2012), Standard test method for abrasion resistance of horizontal concrete
surface, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, 6pp.

3. ASTM C944 (2012), Standard test method for abrasion resistance of concrete or mortar
surfaces by the rotating-cutter method, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, 5pp.

4. M Alexander (1985), Towards standard test for abrasion resistance of concrete Report on a
limited number of test studied with a critical evaluation, Materials and Structures, 18, 106,
pp. 297-307

5. T C Liu (1981), Abrasion resistance of concrete, ACI Journal, 78, 29, pp. 341- 350.
 References:

4. Gigvvy.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://gigvvy.com/journals/ijase/articles/ijase-

202003-17-1-029.pdf> [Accessed 26 January 2022].

5. The Constructor. 2021. 7 Factors Affecting Abrasion Resistance of Concrete Surface - The
Constructor. [online] Available at: <https://theconstructor.org/concrete/factors-abrasion-
resistance-concrete/38180/> [Accessed 26 January 2022].

6. Portal on Deterioration of RC Structures. 2021. Abrasion of concrete. [online] Available at:

<https://18de154.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/abrasion-of-concrete/> [Accessed 26 January
2022].

7. ASTM C418 (2005), Standard test method for abrasion resistance of concrete by
sandblasting, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, 4pp.