2134/26576
Tai Ikumi
Tai
Ikumi
Sergio Pialarissi-Cavalaro
Sergio
Pialarissi-Cavalaro
Ignacio Segura
Ignacio
Segura
Chris Goodier
Chris
Goodier
Simon Austin
Simon
Austin
Simplified analytical assessment of damaged induced by the external sulphate attack in concrete piles
Loughborough University
2017
Concrete
Durability
External sulphate attack
Diffusion
Failure
Built Environment and Design not elsewhere classified
2017-09-21 08:35:09
Conference contribution
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/conference_contribution/Simplified_analytical_assessment_of_damaged_induced_by_the_external_sulphate_attack_in_concrete_piles/9428315
Underground structures and foundations, including piles, constructed with reinforced
concrete may be in contact with sulphate-rich soils and water. Structural elements exposed
to these conditions may be affected by an expansive process known as external sulphate
attack (ESA) that generally leads to an increase in volume, hence displacements and
cracking of the concrete. The most widely accepted approach to mitigate such problems is
to use cement(s) with a small content of aluminates. The objective of this research was to
assess the potential damage induced by ESA using a simplified analytical model that is
able to consider parameters such as the cement content and size of the pile, which may also
affect the risk of damage. A parametric study was performed with different pile sizes and
aluminate and cement contents. The structural integrity of the elements was verified
considering a life span of 50 years and three possible failure modes (tensile failure in the
core, and shear or tensile failure in the interface between the damaged and undamaged
regions). The results suggest that the recommendations based solely on the maximum
aluminate content present in the cement are inaccurate and might lead to very different
outcomes depending on the characteristics of the elements. The study indicates that other
parameters should also be taken into account in order to reduce the risk of ESA in real
structures, such as the size of the element or the cement content per unit volume of
concrete. This work has implications for the design of pile foundations in ground
conditions prone to sulphate attack.