Mathematics of Concrete Scaling

Abstract

Laboratory experiments are performed to study the conditions under which concrete scaling occurs. Induced temperature gradients causes the concrete surface to spall off in sheets, replicating an ubiquitous form of damage to the transportation infrastructure in much of the United States. A mathematical model is developed to simulate temperature gradients in concrete during freeze‐thaw cycles, and the calculated results are in excellent agreement with the laboratory data. By using a finite‐difference model, the rate and depth of temperature changes during surface scaling are predicted.