Investigation of Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concretes with Biomass Fly Ash

Abstract

The alkali–silica reaction (ASR) in concrete occurs by reaction of certain silica phases in the aggregates with alkalis and hydroxide ions in the pore solution of the hydrating cement to produce a hydrous alkali-silicate gel. This gel can swell by incorporating large amounts of water, causing severe and irreversible expansion and cracking of the concrete. The level of expansion and disruption in concrete containing reactive aggregate depends on the alkali content of the concrete and the reactivity of the aggregate. The levels of alkali that trigger the expansion depend, however, on the reactivity of the aggregates. Alkalis from Portland cement (OPC) are one of the major sources of these ions in concrete. The use of industrial by-products such as fly ash and slag has been found to be an effective preventive measure against ASR in concrete. This article presents the performance of biomass fly ash - an industrial by-product - in the mitigation/inhibition of ASR in concrete. Laboratory expansion tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of biomass fly ash, in replacement of OPC by 20% and 30% (w/w) in the experiments (ASTM C1260/ASTM C1567). The results revealed that biomass fly ash has a good potential in the expansion inhibition due to ASR.