Alkali–silica reaction (ASR) in concrete causes expansion and degradation of the material, which might give adverse structural consequences. From the structural engineer point view, the greatest concern is if ASR leads to loss of structural integrity. Two natural questions arise when assessing existing concrete structures affected by ASR: (1) how to calculate the ASR-induced stresses, and (2), when the ASR-induced stresses are calculated, what is the residual capacity when accounting for the material deterioration caused by ASR? This study aimed to contribute in answering the first question. The ASR-induced stresses can be calculated in a structural analysis that includes a concrete material model that incorporates the effects of ASR on the material behaviour, i.e. expansion and material deterioration. Many such models exist. However, these models rely on predefined field variables, e.g. moisture and temperature, which are (generally speaking) unknowns for an existing structure. Consequently, structural analysis of ASR-affected concrete structures involves dealing with unknown field variables. From this background, we developed a material model and a suitable structural analysis method. The material model relies on only one predefined, howbeit unknown, field variable —the free ASR expansion. The structural analysis method is based on solving an inverse problem, which is to back-calculate the free ASR expansion field from a set of measured displacements. The material model and the structural analysis method were applied in a structural analysis of an ordinary reinforced beam bridge in Norway. Then, the imposed deformations and stresses due to ASR were investigated to increase the understanding of the structural consequences of ASR in ordinary reinforced continuous beam bridges.@en

Material modelling, from the micro to the macro level, of concrete affected by alkali–silica reaction (ASR) has been devoted a lot of research. However, the application of the material models in structural analyses of reinforced concrete (RC) structures, showing the structural implications/consequences of ASR, has got little attention in the literature. This paper aims to show the relevance of the constitutive model on the calculated load effects—induced by ASR—in statically indeterminate beam structures. For the purpose of the study, a three-span RC beam, inspired by a real bridge in Norway, is analysed. The RC beam is modelled using Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and numerical solutions are obtained with the finite element method. The effects of ASR on the concrete are accounted for in an expansion based (macro) constitutive model, which also accounts for cracking, creep and compressive non-linearity. In this way, ASR gives an imposed deformation similar to thermal dilation and shrinkage, for which structural effects have been widely studied. As imposed strain gradients tend to cause higher load effects than uniform strains, the effect of ASR gradients, owing to e.g. a moisture gradient, is addressed. It is shown that linear structural analyses (using a linear material model), give conservative results (the greatest load effects) when an ASR strain gradient is imposed. Among the non-linear material effects investigated, it is shown that stress dependent ASR expansion and concrete cracking are important to consider. The stress dependency of the ASR expansion is shown to have a smoothing effect on the imposed ASR strain field, and as a result, reduces the load effects induced by ASR, while cracking results in crack/plastic hinges releasing the stresses in the system.@en

The alkali silica reaction (ASR) in concrete causes internal localized swelling and micro cracking, which result in expansion and correlated deterioration of the concrete material. The stress state of the concrete is known to affect expansion due to ASR, with an anisotropic stress state giving rise to anisotropic expansion. Similarly, the orientation and extent of micro cracking have a directional effect on the concrete mechanical behaviour. This research studied the effect of sustained uniaxial compressive stress on the evolution of the mechanical behaviour of concrete in compression. Concrete cubes of 230 mm side length were uniaxially restrained and stored in accelerated conditions, with cores drilled in two directions for mechanical tests: a cyclic test in compression, i.e. a stiffness damage test (SDT) and a complete stress-strain test. A clear directional dependency of the mechanical characteristics was found. Furthermore, the results indicate that reduction in modulus of elasticity is well correlated with the expansion in the test direction. On the other hand, the damage indices obtained from the SDT merely relate to the expansion, which puts in question the SDT's ability to predict ASR expansion in stressed concrete and therefore in concrete structures.@en