Identification of Alkali Reactivity of Natural Aggregates by Application of a Rapid Method

촉진시험법을 이용한 하천골재의 알칼리 반응성 판정

The concrete structure can be easily damaged due to alkali-aggregates reaction. There are several methods to identify alkali reactivity of aggregates. The most reliable method is mortar-bar test, but it takes 3 to 12 months for whole test. The authors applied "rapid method" which takes only 7 days for this test. The result of this rapid method follows; expansion ratio of mortar bar for natural aggregates taken at the Youngsan River ranges from 0.197 to 0.489%, but that from Changseong Lake has low expansion ratio of 0.147%, which is below the limit of allowance, 0.168%. Those from the Seomjin River range from 0.173 to 0.22%, and those from the Keum River range from 0.078% to 0.111%. In the case of higher expansion ratio than 0.168%, aggregates must be used with cement containing low alkali content or adding material consuming the alkali content of cement, for example, fly ash and silica fume, etc.. Most of natural aggregates in Cheolla area have no problem in physical properties, particularly the abrasion ratio is below 40%, the limit of allowance. The natural aggregate from Cheolla area consists mostly of gneiss, granite and volcanic rocks. The major alkali reactive materials are quartz mineral with undulatory extinction in gneiss and granite, and amorphous silica in volcanic rocks. Even if a certain aggregate consists of the same kind of rocks and has similar rock composition each other, content of alkali reactivity material can be various, because rock formation is locally different according to temperature and pressure. Therefore every rock type must be physically and chemically identified before using for aggregates.