Mechanical Properties Degradation due to ASR-Swelling: The show has been started!!

After several trails (e.g. Trial Tests 1 ) and a long preparation, this week the first sample have been casted.
Just to give some numbers:
- 425 lt. of concrete will be produced
- in 6 casting along 4 weeks
- 107 sample
- 14 Young's modulus test, 14 splitting tensile test, 6 compressive strength tests will be performed along 52 weeks.
- 5 home made reactor will host the specimens during the storing time.

Here you can find some pictures of our work:

Home Made reactors.

Heater (bottom) and Controller (top) outside view.

Heater (bottom) and Controller (top) inside view.

Small Boxes in which the sample are stored.

Mould 10x10x40 cm for sample used in the Young's modulus test.

Mould 15x15x15 cm for sample used in the splitting tensile strength.

Mechanical Properties Degradation due to ASR-Swelling: Trial Tests 1

Our experimental campaign is becoming larger! We decided to have look also to the degradation of the mechanical properties due to ASR-swelling. 

We will store the specimens in homemade reactors which ensure a temperature of 38C and RH>95%.

Homemade reactors.

The specimens will be tested for Young's modulus and splitting tensile strength.

Just to get familiar with the type of test and the test machines, we had a trail cast at the middle of June and that week we performed the experiments.

Here there are some pictures of the tests.

Preparation specimens for the Young's Modulus test.

Disposition of LDVT for the Young's Modulus test.

Young's Modulus test.

Splitting tensile test.

Crack pattern after splitting tensile test.

Crack pattern after splitting tensile test.