Estimation of non-traditional supplementary cementitious materials potential to prevent alkali-silica reaction using pozzolanic reactivity and bulk resistivity

Abstract

Relationships between supplementary cementitious material (SCM) pozzolanic reactivity, bulk electrical resistivity, and alkali-silica reaction expansion were examined for traditional and non-traditional SCMs using the modified R3 test, bulk resistivity measurements, and the accelerated mortar-bar test (AMBT), respectively. The SCMs included pozzolanic pumice and glass powder and latent hydraulic slag, with cement and limestone fillers being tested as controls. For mixtures with SCMs, as fineness, reactivity, or replacement level increased, bulk resistivity increased, and the ASR expansion decreased; this was not the case for limestone. Strong correlations between pozzolanic reactivity, bulk resistivity, and ASR expansion suggest the ability to estimate expansion based on reactivity and resistivity, although ASR expansion is a more complex phenomenon. By increasing the curing temperature, 1-day bulk resistivity measurements could be used to estimate ASR expansion. Threshold values for bulk resistivity and pozzolanic reactivity were proposed for screening materials and mixtures, including novel ones, for ASR durability.