Soundness of Aggregates

o Soundness refers to the ability of aggregate to resist

excessive changes in volume as a result of changes in
physical conditions.
o Freezing and thawing, variation in temperature, alternate
wetting and drying under normal conditions and wetting
and drying in salt water.
o Aggregates which are porous, weak and containing any
undesirable extraneous matters undergo excessive
volume change when subjected to the above conditions.
 Soundness Test (IS 2386 –Part-V)

o Immersion of carefully graded and weighed test sample in a

solution of sodium or magnesium sulphate and oven drying it
under specified conditions.
o Loss in weight, is measured for a specified number of cycles.

o It can be taken that the average loss of weight after 10

cycles should not exceed 12 per cent and 18 per cent when
tested with sodium sulphate and magnesium sulphate
respectively.
 Alkali-Silica Reaction:
“The Cancer of Concrete”

Ashok Kumar
Outline

• What is ASR and why is it important?

• How does ASR work?

• How can ASR damage be prevented?

What is ASR?

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR)

Alkalis
+ Concrete
ASR Gel
Reactive expansion
which
Silica and
expands
+ cracking
Moisture
What is ASR?

– Water-caustic solution-attacks reactive silica-form alkali

silica gel-swelling type-availability of water & correct
temperature silica gel grows in size-continuous growth
of silica gel exerts osmotic pressure-due to this cracks
in the surface of the concrete- loss in strength &
elasticity.
Creation of alkali-silica gel

Reactants: alkalis, reactive silica, and water

Alkalis

Main cations:
• Sodium (Na+)
• Potassium (K+)

Common sources:
• Portland cement
• Seawater
Creation of alkali-silica gel

Reactive Silica

Rocks-Traps, andesite's, rhyolites, siliceous

limestone's, and sandstones

Common reactive minerals:

strained quartz
opal
obsidian
cristobalite
tridymite
chelcedony
cherts
cryptocrystalline volcanic rocks
Creation of alkali-silica gel

Water

Found in pore spaces in concrete

Sources:
• Addition of water to concrete mixture
• Moist environment/permeable concrete
Concrete failure due to ASR

• Visual Symptoms
– Network of cracks
– Closed or spalled joints
– Relative displacements
 Why is it important to study ASR?

• Concrete quality
• Loss of strength, stiffness, permeability
• Premature failure of concrete structures

• Economic/Environmental impacts
• ASR decreases concrete service life
• Reconstruction has both environmental and
economic impacts. ex. cement production
produces 7% of the world’s CO2 emissions (a
greenhouse gas)
Factors:

– Reactive type of aggregates

– High alkali content in cement

– Availability of moisture

– Optimum temperature conditions.

– Reactive type of aggregates:
– The reactive forms of silica generally occur in the
aggregates obtained from traps, andesite's, rhyolites,
siliceous limestone's and certain types of sandstones. The
reactive constituents may be in the form of opals, cherts,
chalcedony, volcanic glass, zeolites etc.
– IS: 2386 (Part-VII)-1963 describes two methods namely
the
i) Mortar bar expansion
ii) Chemical Test
– Particle size and porosity
– Availability of Moisture:

– chemical reactions involving alkali-aggregate reaction in

concrete requires the presence of water.
– Deterioration due to alkali-aggregate reaction will not
occur in the interior of mass concrete. The deterioration
will be more on the surface.
– Application of waterproofing agents to the surface of the
concrete with a view to preventing additional penetration
of water into the structure
– High alkali Content in Cement:

– Specifications restrict the alkali content to less than 0.6%.

– Their total amount, expressed as Na2O equivalent (Na2O

+ 0.658 K2O). A cement, meeting this specification is

designated as a low alkali cement.

– The expansion due to reaction also depends upon the

fineness of cement.
– Temperature Condition:

– The ideal temperature for the promotion of alkali-

aggregate reaction is in the range of 10 to 38°C.

 Creation of alkali-silica gel

8. Once ASR damage has begun:

Expansion and cracking of concrete

Increased permeability

More water and external alkalis penetrate concrete

Increased ASR damage

Images of ASR damage
Images of ASR damage
Images of ASR damage
How to prevent ASR damage
 How to prevent ASR damage

Alkalis + Reactive Silica + Moisture ASR Gel

 Selection of Non-reactive aggregates

 Avoid high alkali content in cement

– use low alkali cement: 0.4-0.60%

 By the use of corrective admixtures such as

pozzolana-Fly ash, crushed stone dust.
 By controlling the void space in concrete
 By controlling moisture condition and temperature.
ANY QUESTIONS?