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- Albrektsson, Joakim, 1981-
(author)
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Durability of fire exposed concrete : Experimental Studies Focusing on Sti„ffness & Transport Properties
- 2015
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Road and rail tunnels are important parts of the modern infrastructure. High strength concrete (HSC) is commonly used for tunnels and other civil engineering structures, since it allows high load carrying capacity and long service life. In general, Swedish road and rail tunnels should be designed for a service life of 120 years. However, HSC has shown to be sensitive to severe fires in the moist tunnel environment, i.e., fire spalling may occur. Extensive research shows that addition of polypropylene (PP) fibres in the fresh concrete mix significantly reduces the risk of fire spalling. The durability of a concrete structure is mainly governed by the transport properties. Further, experimental studies aimed at understanding the protective mechanism of PP fibres indicate that fluid transport increases in connection with the melting temperature of such fibres. This might reduce the durability of fire exposed concrete with addition of PP fibres. This study aims to investigate whether the use of PP fibres has any significant effect on the durability of moderate fire exposed concrete structures.The experimental study focused on transport properties related to durability and stiffness reduction of fire exposed civil engineering concrete with and without addition of PP fibres. The study consists of three parts; (i) unilateral fire exposure in accordance with the standard time-temperature curve (Std) and a slow heating curve (SH), (ii) uniformly heating of non-restrained samples to 250oC, and (iii) moderate unilateral fire exposure, 350oC, of restrained samples. Changes in material properties caused by the fire exposure were studied by means of ultrasonic pulse velocity, full field-strain measurements during uniaxial compression core tests, polarization and fluorescence microscopy (PFM), water absorption and non-steady state chloride migration.The study shows that fire exposure influences different properties of importance for load carrying capacity and durability. To get a clear image of the fire damage one has to combine different test methods during damage assessments. Transport properties of concrete both with and without addition of PP fibres were considerably affected even at moderate fire exposure. Hence, the service life might be reduced. All series with addition of PP fibres exhibited higher water absorption compared to the series without PP fibres. The practical importance of this might, however, be small since also the water absorption of concrete without PP fibres was considerably affected for the fire scenarios considered in this study. Behind the fire exposed surface, i.e., between 30 and 60 mm, no change in water absorption was observed for concrete without PP fibres. However, higher water absorption of the series with addition of PP fibres was observed.Indicative fire tests aimed to evaluate the resistance to fire spalling during a subsequent severe fire was also conducted. The concretes with addition of PP fibres showed no signs of fire spalling, while progressive spalling was observed for the concrete without PP fibres.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Louise
(author)
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Continuous Preventive Bridge Maintenance : Effect of High Pressure Washing on Concrete Bridges
- 2022
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In Sweden, as in many other countries, preventive maintenance of structures andbridges is considered important. It provides several benefits such as prolonged lifespan or service life, less need for repair, and hopefully reduced costs and lowerenvironmental impact.A large part of Sweden’s bridge stock is getting quite old. The idea that small actionscan improve and/or prolong the status of the bridge and postpone needs for repairor prevent damage with a reduction in life cycle cost is generally in the owner’sinterest. One such preventive maintenance measure is the annual washing ofbridges. While clear positive effects have been observed on the expansion joints,drainage system, and the bridge’s visual appearance, an important question is howthe washing affects chloride ingress, mainly from de-icing salts, in reinforcedconcrete bridge members. The hypothesis is that the high-pressure washing cleansaway the contaminants on the surface and in the long run reduces the chloridecontent. While the practical experience has been positive in Sweden, no research hasyet been done concerning the effect of high-pressure washing on chloride ingress inconcrete bridges.A study has been conducted on the preventive bridge maintenance practice of theSwedish Transport Administration (STA) and Swedish municipalities. This work hasbeen based on a literature review, a survey of municipalities’ bridge maintenance,and practical participation with contractors during annual maintenance. Field andlaboratory tests were carried out on the effect of washing on chloride ingress in twotypes of concrete. A field station was installed on an edge beam of a bridge and wasfollowed over three years’ exposure including winter seasons, winter maintenance,and annual washing in June. Also, an accelerated test method was developed in thelaboratory to simulate the yearly exposure and test the effect of high- pressurewashing in a long-term simulation over just a few weeks.The practical aspects of bridge maintenance seem to be quite similar betweenSweden and in other countries. However, in terms of descriptions of and availablemeans for maintenance and repairs, there seem to be larger differences. For the fieldstation, the results after one year’s exposure do not show anything more than theanticipated difference in chloride ingress between the two concrete types understudy. For year two, a slight difference indicated that washed samples had a reducedchloride content. For year three, however, there was no distinct difference betweenivwashed and unwashed samples. The reasons for this need to be further investigatedand examined. This will be done in the continuous tests of field exposure.The laboratory test method has been developed and successively improved. The shape and levels of chloride ingress are reasonable and comparable with fieldsamples. However, there is a need to examine the effect of natural rain exposurewhich might have the same or greater effect of diluting the chloride content aswashing the surface once a year. Other factors also need to be considered, such aswhen and how often the maintenance is performed. A first step to be able to examinethis has been completed through the development of the accelerated test method.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Louise, et al.
(author)
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Effect of High Pressure Washing on Chloride Ingress in Concrete : Development of an accelerated test method
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Bridges constitute an important part of the infrastructure. For the bridges to have the longest possible service life with minimum repairs, the maintenance is of great importance. One type of bridge maintenance that is rarely researched is the continuous preventive maintenance. The continuous preventive maintenance consists of removal of vegetation, cleaning of bridge joints and drainage systems as well as high-pressure washing of the structure. The effects of washing is discussed but not properly researched. A study on the effectiveness of washing concrete is therefore being conducted. An accelerated method is being developed to mimic field testing. The method has been developed through tests on small concrete specimens subjected to fluctuating temperature, fluctuating moisture, and repeatable exposure to de-icing salt in cycles. The specimens are of two recipes where one represents an old bridge with rather high water-cement ratio (0.6) and the other one represents a new bridge with a low water-cement ratio (0.4). The first two versions of the method are described. The second version shows promising results, but the method needs further development to incorporate additional factors.
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| 8. |
- Billberg, Peter
(author)
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Form pressure generated by self-compacting concrete : influence of thixotropy and structural behaviour at rest
- 2006
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Self-compacting concrete (SCC) offers rational and fast casting process since it merely has to be poured, or pumped, into the formwork without any compaction work needed. But this can be at the cost of high form pressure. However, reported results show that SCC can act thixotropically, i.e., build up a structure at rest, and this can reduce the form pressure considerably. Thus, in order to utilise the favourable possibilities to increase effectiveness without risking form collapses, the need arises for deeper and broader understanding of the mechanisms behind this thixotropic behaviour. Methodologies have been developed for the characterisation and measurement of the structural build-up at rest, both for the fluid (micro mortar) phase and the concrete itself. Hypotheses state that thixotropic mechanisms originate within the colloidal domain and, thus, motivate studies on the fluid phase comprising this domain. The stress-strain methodology is based on the hypothesis stating that the magnitude of the structure is represented by the maximum elastic stress the fresh material can withstand before the structure breaks. An instrumented steel tube is used to simulate various casting heights and rates. Results show that both micro mortar and SCC are thixotropic and this behaviour is influenced by every measure taken influencing the interparticle colloidal forces. The time-dependent structural build-up of SCC is a function of an irreversible structure (slump-loss) and a reversible, thixotropic structure. There is apparently a threshold value of the structural build-up necessary to reach before obtaining any significant form pressure reduction. Housing SCC´s, with W/C = 0.58, show low degree of structural build-up and pressure decrease while civil engineering SCC´s can show the opposite, but this often at the cost of slump-loss. Recommendations are presented and for the nearest future, suggesting a conservatism regarding design of formwork systems when SCC is used. If the behaviour of a SCC is known it should be used to optimise the formwork. If not, calculating with hydrostatic pressure should be done or the knowledge missing should be gained by using this methodology. A third option is given and this is to monitor the form pressure in real time using sensors.
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| 9. |
- de Frias Lopez, Ricardo
(author)
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DEM Modelling of Unbound Granular Materials for Transport Infrastructures : On soil fabric and rockfill embankments
- 2020
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Unbound granular materials (UGM) are widely used as load-bearing layers and for embankment construction within transport infrastructures. These play a significant role on operation and maintenance of transportation systems. However, pavement and railway engineering still today rely heavily on empirical models based on macroscopic observations. This approach results in limited knowledge on the fundamentals at particle scale dictating the macroscopic response of the material. In this sense, the discrete element method (DEM) presents a numerical alternative to study the behaviour of discrete systems with explicit consideration of processes at particulate level. Additionally, it allows obtaining information at particulate level in a way that cannot be matched by traditional laboratory testing. All of this, in turn, can result in greater micromechanical insight.This thesis aims at contributing to the body of knowledge of the fundamentals of granular matter. UGM for transport infrastructures are studied by means of DEM in order to gain insight on their response under cyclic loading. Two main issues are considered: (1) soil fabric and its effect on the performance of coarse-fine mixtures and (2) modelling of high rockfill railway embankments. Among the main contributions of this research there is the establishing of a unified soil fabric classification system based exclusively on force transmission considerations that furthermore correlates with performance. In particular, fabrics characterized by a strong interaction between the coarse and fine fractions resulted in improved performance. A soil fabric type with a potential for instability was also identified. Regarding embankments, DEM modelling shows that traffic induced settlements accumulate on the top layers and therefore seem to be unaffected by embankment height above a certain value. A marked influence of degradation, even considering its nearly negligible magnitude, was observed, largely resulting in increased settlements.
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| 10. |
- de Frias Lopez, Ricardo, et al.
(author)
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Discrete element modelling of rockfill railway embankments
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Uncertainty on the development of settlements due to traffic loading exists within railway embankments, playing a potentially critical role in maintenance for slab-track configurations. A previously developed model for large constructions of unbound stone-based materials has been implemented for modelling rockfill embankments. Particles are represented by simple breakable tetrahedral clumps of spheres with four asperities each. Both corner breakage and particle splitting are allowed and differentiated depending on contact geometry. Embankments with heights ranging between 2 to 10 m are generated by successive dumping and compaction of layers of clumps on top of each other, mimicking the construction of real embankments. Cyclic loading of the embankments representing railway traffic, for both breakable and unbreakable assemblies, was carried out. No clear influence of embankment height on settlements was observed, as these accumulate on the top layers independently of the number of layers below. A clear effect of degradation was observed, largely resulting in increased settlements. Regarding the resilient response, a linear stiffening effect of embankment height was observed with a minor influence of breakage. Results at particle level were proven useful in explaining the observed behaviour. The key contribution is showing that it is possible to model high rockfill embankments under a large number of loading cycles and furthermore including degradation, something not attempted to date.
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