The use of the Stiffness Damage Test 'SDT' for the assessment of concrete structures affected by ASR

摘要

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is one of the main processes reducing the service life of concrete structures worldwide. The objective of this research is to develop an effective and reliable approach to evaluate the damage and the potential for further distress of concrete damaged by ASR, based on selected mechanical (Stiffness Damage Test) and petrographic (Damage Rating Index) test methods performed in the laboratory. To achieve this goal, concrete specimens were cast and exposed to conditions promoting damage due to ASR. At selected expansion levels, they were tested through the procedures mentioned above. Results show that the SDT should be carried out with a percentage of the design strength and parameters such as the hysteresis area, the modulus of elasticity and the plastic deformation provide good correlations with the amount of expansion reached by the concrete.