Deicer Scaling Resistance of Concrete Pavements, Bridge Decks, and Other Structures Containing Slag Cement
Scaling on a bridge deck
Researcher(s)
Principal investigator: Scott Schlorholtz, 515-294-8761, sschlor@iastate.edu (project list)
Co-principal investigator: Doug Hooton
Project status
Completed
Start date: 03/01/05
End date: 09/30/08
Publications
Report: September 2008, http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/reports/schlorholtz_deicing_phase1.pdf 8 mb (*pdf)
*To read pdf files, you may need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Sponsor(s)/partner(s)
Sponsor(s):Connecticut Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Iowa Department of Transportation
Kansas Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
Ohio Department of Transportation
Slag Cement Association
About the research
Abstract: The initial phase of this project was conducted to determine whether adding slag cement to concrete mixtures increases the surface scaling caused by the routine application of deicer salt. A total of 28 field sites that included portland cement concrete pavements and bridge decks containing slag cement were evaluated. Laboratory testing was conducted on 6 in. diameter core samples extracted from 12 field sites and 3 subsites, including 6 pavement sites and 6 bridge decks. The laboratory testing program consisted of scaling tests, rapid chloride permeability tests, surface chloride profile tests, and petrographic examination.
The results of this study suggest that construction-related issues played a bigger role in the observed scaling performance than did the amount of slag in the concrete mixture.