Title:
Furfuryl Alcohol Polymer Concretes For Use in All-Weather Repairs of Concrete and Asphalt Surfaces
Author(s):
L. E. Kukacka and t. Sugama
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
99
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
91-112
Keywords:
aggregates; costs; curing; furfuryl alcohol; monomers; patching; placing; polymer concrete; repairs; storage; water; Materials Research
DOI:
10.14359/2396
Date:
5/1/1987
Abstract:
A furfuryl alcohol-based polymer concrete (FA-PC) has been developed for use as an all-weather repair material for concrete and asphalt surfaces. For this application, the following criteria were established: high-strength at an age of one hour, placement of the materials possible during heavy precipitation over temperatures ranging from -32 to 52 C, and the chemical constituents low in cost with long-term stability when contained in a maximum of three packages during storage. A formulation consisting of furfuryl alcohol monomer (FA), à,à,à-trichlorotulene, pyridine, silane, zinc chloride, silica filler, and coarse aggregate meets these requirements. Optimized formulations were established for use with premixed and percolation placement methods. The premixed formulation meets essentially all of the property and storage criteria and is compatible with moisture contents up to 4 percent by weight of the total mass, which stimulates placement in a 2.54 cm/hr rainfall. The working time for the FA-PC slurry can be controlled at ñ15 min over the operating temperature range -20 to 52 C by simply varying the à,à,à-trichlorotoluene catalyst concentration while holding all the other constituents constant. Below -20 C, slight increases in FA and ZnCl2 concentrations are needed to yield optimum properties. Prototype equipment for the mixing and placement of FA-PC was constructed and used in a series of tests up to a size of 6 x 6 x 0.15 m. The equipment consisted of a concrete transit mix supply of mixed aggregate, a hopper-fed volumetric feed screw that supplied aggregate at a known rate to a mixing screw, and a monomer pump and spray nozzle. The unit mixed and delivered FA-PC at ÷ 182 kg/min. The practicability of using equipment currently employed for the continuous placement of conventional portland cement concrete was proven. Field tests were performed under rainfall and dry conditions at temperatures ranging from -15 to 35 C. In all of these tests, the mixing and placement equipment performed well and the FA-PC slurries exhibited self-leveling characteristics. Test results from proxy samples prepared during the placement of the patches and cores taken after simulated aircraft trafficking indicated that the property requirements at an age of one hour were attained.