Experimental investigations on the effect of internal sulfate attack on the behavior of normal and lightweight self-compacting reinforced concrete beam under flexural loading

ALshukri, Haider Mehdi; Talab, Hussein; Nahhab, Ali H.

doi:10.22059/ceij.2025.381789.2142

Experimental investigations on the effect of internal sulfate attack on the behavior of normal and lightweight self-compacting reinforced concrete beam under flexural loading

Articles in Press

Authors

Haider Mehdi ALshukri ¹

hussein talab ²

Ali H. Nahhab ¹

¹ Babylon University

² babylon

10.22059/ceij.2025.381789.2142

Abstract

Among the crucial issues facing the concrete industry in Iraq and the Middle East is the contamination of fine aggregate with high levels of sulfate(SO3), consequently resulting in internal sulfate attack(ISA). Therefore, the major objective of the current research is to examine the influence of various levels of sulfate contaminated fine aggregate on flexural behavior of light weight self-compacting concrete(LWSCC) incorporates lightweight expended clay(LECA) as coarse aggregate, and comparisons are made with normal weight self-consolidating concrete(NWSCC). The sulfate(SO3) levels were (0.31 , 0.5 , 1.5 , 3, and 4.5)% by sand weight. Tests conducted on mixes included slump flow, V-funnel, and L-box tests in fresh state, as well as evaluations of mechanical characteristics such as strength of compressive and splitting tensile at ages of 28, 90, and 180 days. and flexural performance of R.C beam models at ages of 28, and 180 days. The results obtained from this work showed that all tested beams exhibited the typical flexural behavior and with an increase in SO3 content up to 0.5%, the highest values of such mechanical properties for LWSCC and NWSCC and first crack load for R.C beam models were achieved. However, when the SO3 content increased beyond (0.5%), the results

Keywords

R.C beam

Lightweight self-compact concrete(LWSCC)

Lightweight expended clay (LECA)

internal sulfate attack(ISA)

sulfates contents (SO3)%