ABSTRACT
Development of different types of expansive reactions and their combinations in concrete leads to shorter life span of concrete structures, e.g. cement concrete pavements. The damage accompanied with this process is usually visible on the surface of structures after the end of the warranty period. It appears both on areas with heavy traffic and areas without any traffic. Common methods to analyze the occurrence of this reaction include measuring the length change on mortar bars and concrete prisms, monitoring damage progression on structure surfaces, or taking cores over time. This paper introduces another diagnostic method. It is based on the use of scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, chemical microanalyses of samples taken from concrete structures, and samples prepared in a laboratory. A micro-petrography analysis is performed on thin sections prepared from concrete. The paper describes the results of diagnostics of cores taken from pavements in the Czech Republic.
