Consequences of sulfate attack on concrete

As emphasized in Chapter 4, it is now well established that hydrated cement systems subject to sulfate attack often sustain damage as a result of excessive volume change. For instance, the swelling behavior of concrete suffering from “internal” sulfate attack has been the subject of numerous reports (Day 1992; Diamond 1996; Lawrence 1995a,b). The volume instability of mortar and concrete mixtures exposed sulfate solutions is also well documented (Gollop and Taylor 1992-1996, Mehta 1992; Odler and Jawed 1991; Thorvaldson 1952). For additional information see Thorvaldson et al. (1925, 1927, 1928) and Tuthill (1936).