Effects of alkali-silica reaction on mechanical behavior of four-pile caps

ABSTRACT: The structural behavior resulting from alkali-aggregate reactions on four-pile caps was numerically studied using software based on the Finite Element Method. The cracking was analyzed in terms of reduction rates in the mechanical properties of the concrete (compressive strength, tensile strength and modulus of elasticity) as a consequence of the expansion induced by the alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) referred to in the literature. One option for dealing with changes in mechanical properties, reported as influenced by the reactive aggregate type, environmental conditions and stress state, is to directly use the value of the properties of the material tested in the analysis, an approach adopted in the study and implemented in the analysis. From the results found in the analysis program the three main effects of AAR could be better understood: expansion, cracking and degradation of mechanical properties of concrete.