Mitigation Techniques for In-Service Structures with Premature Concrete Deterioration

This thesis describes part of the work associated with Texas Department of Transportation Study 4069 (“Mitigation Techniques for In-Service Structures with Premature Concrete Deterioration”). The Texas Department of Transportation is interested in developing techniques for mitigating or remediating premature concrete deterioration due to alkali silica reaction (ASR), delayed ettringite formation (DEF), or both, in order to extend the life of potentially affected structures. The parts of Study 4069 reported here consist of: a literature search for mitigation or remediation techniques; fabrication of concrete specimens intentionally susceptible to premature deterioration; and the application and monitoring of the mitigation techniques using laboratory testing and acoustic emission (AE) procedures. Specimens were exposed to three of environmental conditions: an indoor series; an outdoor series; and a wet/dry series. Expansion and internal relative humidity were measured to determine the efficacy of the mitigation techniques at reducing expansion from premature concrete deterioration. Based on the test results, recommendations are made for choosing mitigation treatments now, and for additional research. viiseries