ABSTRACT
Abstract In this work a hypothesis is presented to explain the alkaline degradation process of calcium aluminate cement concrete (CACC). It is based on x-ray diffraction (XRD) data of samples taken from real Spanish CACC structures. The identification from XRD data of a hydrated alkaline aluminate could serve as a guide to differentiate between processes: normal carbonation and alkaline hydrolysis. Keywords: aluminous cement, carbonation, alkaline hydrolysis.
