Title:
Effects of Mixture Proportioning, Curing, and Finishing on Concrete Surface Hardness
Author(s):
Kamran Amini, Seyedhamed Sadati, Halil Ceylan, and Peter C. Taylor
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
116
Issue:
2
Appears on pages(s):
119-126
Keywords:
curing; finishing; salt scaling; slag cement; surface hardness
DOI:
10.14359/51714457
Date:
3/1/2019
Abstract:
With adoption of winter maintenance strategies that typically include incorporation of aggressive deicer chemicals, pavement surfaces in cold regions are exposed to the risk of scaling damage. Reduced ride quality due to surface deterioration can eventually lead into a variety of maintenance and repair programs. Such pavement preservation programs impose significant charges to the owner agencies, while raising concerns regarding the safety issues associated with work zone areas. The present study addresses the correlation between surface hardness and concrete hardened properties. Moreover, factors that influence the concrete performance with respect to surface-abrasion resistance (hardness) were investigated. Of special interest was the relationship between surface hardness and concrete salt-scaling performance. An extensive investigation was carried out to assess the effects of various mixture proportions, curing regimes, and finishing times on surface hardness of the concrete specimens. In addition, compressive strength, depth-sensing indentation (DSI), and salt scaling tests were used to evaluate the correlation between concrete surface hardness and performance. A scaling quality classification table using abrasion mass loss values was developed. The results reflect further understanding of the relationship between abrasion resistance and salt scaling resistance that can cause defects when more than two cycles of abrasion testing are applied.