Brief
Adding materials such as polymers and carbon fibers to concrete to increase bond strength has the potential reshape the construction industry, writes Olivia Hudson, a recent graduate of RMIT University. However, increased adoption of polymers and carbon fibers in concrete faces a handful of obstacles, including material sourcing, cost and the need for highly skilled technicians, Hudson notes.
Insight
The definition of concrete durability can be explained as the ability of a specimen to resist any form of weathering action, namely abrasion, chemical, physical, or any other process of deterioration. In other words, the durability of concrete can also be defined as the ability to last a long period of time without significant deterioration or failure.
Types of weathering include mechanical, physical, and chemical weathering of concrete including the alkali-aggregate reaction of sulfate attack and chloride attack.
Different long-term testing methods have been used over the years and more research has been done to improve the existing methods to be more economical and environmental. Consideration has also gone into methods that reduce the time in which these tests can be completed and assessed.
The Importance Of Long-Term Durability Testing
It is important to test for the durability of concrete bonds because of the following reasons. Firstly, concrete testing will allow the designers to determine accurately the lifespan of a specific structure according to its specific needs or requirements. If a structure is intended to last a specific period of time, long-term concrete testing can reveal the combination that is required for it to last that long.
There can be economic and environmental benefits to this testing. Economically, constant rehabilitation and patching up of structures are very expensive. Hence, long-term testing can reveal the right combination of concrete mixtures for durable structures, thereby reducing the number of times for rehabilitation.
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