Concrete Performance Using Low-Degradation Aggregates.

摘要

The durability of Portland cement concrete (PCC) has long been identified as a concern by transportation communities across the United States. Since quality gravel aggregate sources in Washington State are being used up and quarry sources are being used more, evaluating the potential to effectively use low-degradation aggregates in concrete could have significant economic benefits. In this study, the long-term performance of two batches of concrete incorporating either low-degradation (LD) or normal (NM) aggregates subjected to freezing and thawing (F/T) conditions was experimentally studied. Both fresh and hardened material properties of these two groups of concrete were evaluated by ASTM standard tests. The Test Method for Resistance of Concrete to Rapid Freezing and Thawing (ASTM C666)-Procedure A was followed to condition all the test samples up to 1,500 F/T cycles. Dynamic modulus and fracture energy for both groups of concrete samples after different numbers of freeze-thaw cycles were measured through nondestructive modal and cohesive fracture tests, respectively.