Empirical Modelling of Lithium Mitigation for Alkali-Silica Reactivity

Abstract

The Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) is a deleterious concrete chemical reaction that has been studied a lot since its discovery in 1940. The reaction produces a highly hygroscopic silica gel that swells into the pores of concrete, resulting in the critical decrease of the mechanical performances of the affected structures. Some methods have been investigated to limit expansion under a certain limit, among them lithium mitigation. However, the mechanisms are not really understood yet and determining the right amount of lithium is still arduous. An attempt for a method in coherence with experience is presented in this study, using the chemo-mechanical model of Larive and curve-fitting. The results provide accuracy to experimental measurements from several protocols, and call for further research.