The purpose of this book is to bring together a series of reviews on topics of current relevance to the durability of concrete and cement-based composites. One might reasonably ask why such a book is now believed to be needed as concrete and related materials have been used with outstanding success in major construction projects for well over two thousand years. Indeed numerous ancient concrete structures, such as the Pantheon in Rome, and masonry structures with mortar joints, such as the Pont du Gard Aqueduct near NõÃmes in southern France (see Fig. 1.1), have survived to the present day in excellent states of preserva- tion. These and other examples of Roman construction works incorporating hydraulic cements made from lime and volcanic earth (or similar vitrified alumino-silicates, known collectively as pozzolanas, after Pozzuoli near Naples where a natural source of such material exists) have shown remarkable dur- ability even where they have been exposed to damp, aggressive environments. An impressive illustration was provided by Davey (1974) whose photograph of part of a Roman breakwater that had been exposed to the sea near Naples for two millennia (reproduced in Fig. 1.2), demonstrates that the mortar joints had endured far more successfully than the now heavily eroded stone blocks which they had been connecting.
The durability of fibre-reinforced cements and concrete (frc) has been the subject of academic debate and commercial intrigue for around […]
Degradation of fibre-reinforced cement composites Introduction Read Post »
Severe scaling of concrete surfaces has been associated in many instances with the application of deicing agents. These agents are
Concrete and cement composites are forgiving materials and the expectation of a long service life at an extreme ambient temperature
Degradation of concrete in cold weather conditions Introduction Read Post »
Failure to adequately specify concrete subject to repeated freezing and thawing may lead to various types of internal or near-surface
Although a large amount of data have been obtained for a range of polymer- cement composite properties, relatively little is known,
Degradation of polymer-cement composites Interfacial characteristics Read Post »
Interest in polymer-cement composites has increased considerably in recent years with systems finding widespread use in the concrete repair and
Degradation of polymer-cement composites Future trends Read Post »
Most of the prestressed concrete structures built during the last 50 years, where design and construction have adhered to best
Degradation of prestressed concrete Introduction Read Post »
Cementitious systems incorporating polymers have received considerable inter- national attention, especially over the last 30 years or so. This interest
Degradation of polymer-cement composites Introduction Read Post »
The design of reinforced concrete structures is based on the assumption that concrete does not withstand tension stresses induced by