Publication Date

2021

Abstract

This report summarizes an 18-month effort to investigate best practices to incorporate into the materials and construction of concrete sidewalks to mitigate surface scaling damage induced by freeze-thaw cycles in the presence of deicing chemicals. The study involved an in-situ experimental study accompanied by laboratory testing and quantitative analyses to determine key factors that impact sidewalk performance and durability. The primary variables considered in the study were concrete mixture design (aggregate/paste optimization, air content, and cementitious material replacements), workmanship (delivery, placement, finishing, curing), and deicing treatment. The collective effort involved participants from construction companies, a concrete producer, academia, testing laboratories, and the Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation (MassDOT). Fifty-four unique sidewalk panels were placed adjacent to the Hopkinton, MA, MassDOT Research and Materials Laboratory. Collectively, the results indicate that sidewalk performance can be controlled though a combination of optimized mix design formulation, proper pre-placement, placement, finishing, curing, cold and hot weather concreting practices, contractor quality control, and department acceptance. Recommendations based on findings and in combination with referenced standards are provided, covering the range of variables studied in this research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/3nez-qd15

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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