A New Weapon in Fighting ASR in Concrete
Alkali-silica reactivity (ASR), a pervasive durability
problem that occurs in portland cement concrete, is responsible for
the premature deterioration of various types of concrete structures
in the United States and around the world. While lithium compounds have
been recognized for more than 50 years as being effective in preventing
concrete expansion due to ASR, there has been increased interest in
recent years in using them to both treat existing structures and as
a preventive measure in new concrete construction.
To bring State and local highway agencies up to speed on the new applications
of this technology, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is sponsoring
a series of workshops in 2003. The workshops will provide practitioners
with the necessary information and guidance to test, specify, and use
lithium compounds in new concrete construction, as well as to repair
and extend the service life of structures. While there is no charge
to highway agencies for the workshops, the agencies will be responsible
for hosting the workshops and providing the necessary facilities.
 |
| ASR causes the premature deterioration of concrete
structures across the United States and around the world. |
The workshop provides a basic overview of ASR, including information
on mechanisms, symptoms of ASR damage in field structures, mitigation
approaches, test methods, and specifications. The workshop then presents
a comprehensive summary of lithium compounds, including information
on their production, availability, use in laboratory concrete studies,
and field applications. Included in this presentation are a range of
case studies. The workshop also covers:
- Guidelines for using lithium compounds as an admixture in new concrete
and as a method of treating existing structures suffering from ASR-induced
damage.
- Information on how to assess the effectiveness of lithium compounds
in laboratory tests.
- Basic information on the economics of using lithium both in new
concrete and as a treatment for existing structures.
- A summary of technical and practical issues that should be considered
for future laboratory studies and field applications.
For more information on the workshop or to schedule a workshop in your
State, contact Fred Faridazar at FHWA, 202-493-3076 (email: fred.faridazar@fhwa.dot.gov).
Back to top
..................................................
Articles in this issue:
Pavement Management Systems: A Powerful Tool for Performance
Monitoring
A New Weapon in Fighting ASR in Concrete
FHWA Workshop Introduces New Life-cycle Cost Analysis
Software
TIG Announces Accelerated Deployment of New Technologies
..................................................
