Environmental And Age-Related Deterioration Of Concrete Median Barriers

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to understand the time-dependent environmental and age-related deterioration mechanisms in the un-reinforced concrete barrier walls used in Ontario. The study concentrated mainly on the response of plain concrete barrier walls to time-dependent thermal loads and associated volume changes. The research involved temperature data collection, experimental study and numerical analysis. The temperature data was collected on an hourly basis from the temperature sensors installed in a live plain concrete barrier wall. In the experimental study, concrete samples were exposed to varying temperature and environmental conditions and tested to monitor the deviation of significant concrete parameters like compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity etc. Based on the results from the experimental study and the temperature data collected from the sensors, a non-linear transient thermal and structural analysis was carried out on a three-dimensional model, developed using ANSYS program, for a time period of three years.