Sulfate Attack on Concrete: A Holistic Perspective

The papers presented in this volume were included in a three-part session sponsored by ACI Committee 201, Durability of Concrete, about sulfate attack on concrete at the ACI Convention in Philadelphia, PA, on October 23-24, 2016. In line with the practice and requirements of the American Concrete Institute, peer review, followed by appropriate response and revision by authors, has been used.

Deterioration of concrete due to sulfate attack is a complex process characterized by multiple damage manifestations including volumetric expansion, cracking, spalling, softening, and in some cases mushiness. Sulfate attack can generally be classified as internal or external to the cementitious matrix, and the underlying damage modes can be chemical or physical. The scope of papers involves a multitude of theoretical and experimental aspects of different forms of sulfate attack. Readers are urged to critically evaluate the work presented herein, in the light of the large body of knowledge and scientific literature on this durability topic.