Abstract
In the United Kingdom a number of cases of chemical attack on buried concrete bridge foundations have occurred, involving the sulfate-bearing mineral thaumasite. All of the affected concretes were in contact with a large volume of clay backfill. It is postulated that oxidation of pyrites within the backfill led to the formation of sulfuric acid, reducing the pH of the groundwater and resulting in attack on the foundations and in reactions that raised the groundwater sulfate level. It is shown that the observations made on thin sections taken from the affected bridge foundations are in accordance with sulfuric acid attack being the probable primary cause of deterioration.
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