Analysis of ASR-induced damage processes in concrete Application of innovative measurement techniques

Analysis of ASR-induced damage processes in concrete Application of innovative measurement techniques The alkali-reactive potential of aggregates is assessed according to the German guidelines by two different test methods. These are the 40 degrees C fog chamber storage and as an alternative method the 60 degrees C concrete prism test. In both tests, the discontinuously measured expansion of ASR-generating stored concrete prisms is used as criterion for the internal damage process. The damage analysis of the cubes additionally stored in the 40 degrees C fog chamber is also restricted to the discontinuous measurement of the crack width on the cubes surfaces. This paper describes an innovative, already successfully applied, non-destructive measurement methodology. This methodology enables a continuous monitoring of the internal damage processes in ASR-generating stored concrete specimens due to a continuous recording of expansion, acoustic emission and ultrasonic velocity. Thereby, three sequent phases of internal structural changes dominated by hydration, crack formation and filling of the cracks with ASR-gel and/or other reaction products can be detected. The crack formation was temporally and spatially visualised by discontinuously applied X-ray computed tomography measurements. Microscopic analyses confirm the findings of the X-ray 3D-CT.