Advanced Chemical Techniques for the Analysis of Hardened Concrete. Phase 2. Investigation of Materials for Piles in Tampa Bay Bridges

摘要

The investigation addresses the effects of material properties on the durability of bridge piles in the Tampa Bay area. Four bridges were selected for this study, namely, New and Old Gandy and New and Old Skyway Bridges, due to the similarity in the water salinity. These bridges cover a time span of approximately 20 years. The tools used in this study included wet chemical analysis, microscopy, x-ray diffraction and fluorescence, mechanical and physical testing. It was found that concrete ingredients in both bridges are not different in quantity or quality. Significant differences in physical properties with the older bridges of better quality were attributed to construction practices, specifically, consolidation. It is recommended that future work should address porosity and permeability, in addition to the effects of crystallization of salts, on concrete durability.