Study on lithium migration for electrochemical treatment of concrete affected by alkali-silica reaction

摘要

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is one of the major durability problems in concrete and affects many structures worldwide. Nevertheless, currently, there are no definite treatments to stop it once it has started. Lithium is known to have beneficial effects on ASR. Indeed, the use of lithium-based admixtures has been acknowledged as a preventive method for over 50 years. Nevertheless, in existing structures, this is no longer possible: lithium ions need to be driven into the concrete and ionic migration is the most effective transport method. Although several studies have been conducted on the use of migration to transport lithium ions into concrete, so far, there is no agreement on the conclusions. It is still necessary to fully understand lithium migration into concrete before developing a possible treatment against ASR. This study aims to investigate lithium migration through experimental testing and modelling.