TITLE:
Alkali-Silica Reactivity and Strength of Mortars with Expanded Slate, Expanded Glass or Perlite
AUTHORS:
Mehrzad Zahabi, Aly Said
KEYWORDS:
Lightweight Concrete, Alkali-Silica Reaction, Expanded Glass Aggregate, Expanded Slate Aggregate, Perlite Aggregate
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Civil Engineering,
Vol.11 No.1,
March
17,
2021
ABSTRACT: Lightweight
aggregates are increasingly used in concrete construction. They reduce concrete
selfweight furnishing a structural advantage. In contrast, the mechanical
properties and durability of lightweight concrete can become the governing
factor on lightweight aggregate replacement ratios. Alkali-Silica Reactison (ASR)
and compressive strength of mortar samples with expanded slate, expanded glass
or perlite, covering the spectrum of internal porosity and weight of
lightweight aggregates, were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy was
utilized to evaluate the contribution of the aggregates’ porosity and chemical
composition in inhibiting ASR. Perlite, owing to its highly porous
microstructure and lower matter excelled in ASR expansion while chemical
composition and denser microstructure of the heavier expanded slate resulted in
more signified late ASR expansion and higher compressive strength. An attempt
in visual inspection of ASR attack of alkali metal ions on silica-rich expanded
glass using an ultra-accelerated exposure to sodium hydroxide solution was made.