An unusual case of ground water sulphate attack on concrete

The attack by sodium sulphate on the concrete linings of three rail tunnels features a concentration of sodium sulphate by the evaporation of ground water due to ventilation in the tunnels. Ground water is drawn through the ballast and up the walls while undergoing continuous evaporation. When the s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCement and concrete research Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 633 - 639
Main Author St John, D.A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 1982
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Summary:The attack by sodium sulphate on the concrete linings of three rail tunnels features a concentration of sodium sulphate by the evaporation of ground water due to ventilation in the tunnels. Ground water is drawn through the ballast and up the walls while undergoing continuous evaporation. When the solubilities of the salts naturally present in the ground water are exceeded because of evaporation, they are deposited, and in the case of sodium sulphate cause exfoliation of the concrete. Der Angriff durch Natriumsulfat an Betonüberzügen von drei Tunnels beruht auf Konzentrationszunahme in verdunstendem Grundwasser zufolge Luftbewegung in den Tunnels. Grundwasser dringt durch das Schotterbett und die Wände und verdunstet an den Oberflächen. Ueberschreitung der Sättigungsgrenze der im Grundwasser natürlich vorhandenen Salze führt zur Bildung von Ablagerungen und, im Falle von Natriumsulfat, schlieBlich zum Abblättern des Betons.
ISSN:0008-8846
1873-3948
DOI:10.1016/0008-8846(82)90025-4