Assessment of ASR-Induced Expansion and Deterioration in Conventional Concrete Incorporating a Highly Reactive Coarse Aggregate via Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy Coupled with Imaging Techniques

Several characterization techniques have been used to assess ASR-induced deterioration as a function of its development. Amongst those, promising results were obtained via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS), to evaluate the morphology and composition of reaction products and the presence of inner defects and changes in viscoelastic properties, respectively. Although SEM-EDS has been ever since well recognized as a powerful tool to detect the presence and composition of ASR-products, the evaluation of its association with induced deterioration is typically purely qualitative. This work aims to quantitatively appraise ASR-induced products and associated deterioration by the coupling of SEM-EDS and RUS, particularly a version thereof called SIngle MOde RUS (SIMORUS). Concrete mixtures incorporating a highly reactive coarse aggregate were cast and stored in conditions enabling ASR development. At 4, 11, 16, 24 and 36 weeks, the samples were prepared and characterized with the mentioned techniques. Quantifications of ASR-induced deterioration parameters (i.e., dynamic linear Young’s and shear moduli, and the respective wave amplitude attenuation coefficients, WAACs) as well as products composition were obtained. Here, we provide a preliminary discussion about the ASR secondary products’ composition along with the ability of SIMORUS to evaluate the ASR-induced deterioration derived from highly reactive coarse aggregates.