Engineering topics

Ma, John

Publications and source records attributed to Ma, John.

3 records

DOE OSTI2020

Effect of Alkali-Silica Reaction Expansion Rate and Confinement on Concrete Degradation

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a major deterioration mechanism that affects the durability of concrete structures. As the slow rate of ASR development and the restrained expansion in field concrete might affect the development of ASR damage, an experimental program was performed to investigate the effects of the rate of ASR expansion and confinement on the degradation of mechanical properties of concretes. Literature data on the degradation of mechanical properties of concretes with ASR expansion were collected and analyzed to investigate the influence of the rate of ASR expansion and confinement on the degradation trends. Degradation of mechanical properties was found to be significantly influenced by the rate of ASR expansion and slightly affected by confinements. The slow rate of ASR expansion seems to be beneficial in limiting concrete degradation. The effects of confinement seem to be related to the direction of restraint and crack orientations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Experimental collaboration for thick concrete structures with alkali-silica reaction

Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) is a reaction that occurs over time in concrete between alkaline cement paste and reactive, non-crystalline silica in aggregates. An expansive gel is formed within the aggregates which results in micro-cracks in aggregates and adjacent cement paste. The reaction requires the presence of water and has been predominantly detected in groundwater-impacted portions of below grade structures, with limited impact to exterior surfaces in above grade structures. ASR can potentially affect concrete properties and performance characteristics such as compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, shear strength, and tensile strength. Since ASR degradation often takes significant amounts of time, developing ASR detection techniques is important to the sustainability and extended operation lifetimes of nuclear power plants (NPPs). The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) designed and built an experiment representative of typical NPP structures to study ASR in thick concrete structures.

Ezell, N Dianne Bull↗

DOE OSTI2013

Novel Multidimensional Tracers for Geothermal Inter-Well Diagnostics

This is the Final Report of the three-year project “Novel Multidimensional Tracers for Geothermal Inter-Well Diagnostics” (DE-EE00003032, April 1, 2010 – March 30, 2013), in which we present our major accomplishments with detailed descriptions of our experimental and theoretical efforts. Upon the successful conduction of this project, we have followed our proposed breakdown work structure completing most of the technical tasks. Finally, we have developed and demonstrated the matrix of smart geothermal tracers and the corresponding interpretation tools together with the novel pre-concentration technique – the Hollow Fiber Liquid-Liquid Micro-Extraction (HFLLME), which present superior performance in terms of the ultralow detection limits (up to 10-12g/mL with signal-to-noise ratio of 2); high workable temperature up to 300°C; and the significant enhancement in the characterization of subsurface environment. We have developed in- depth mechanistic understandings on the complicated chemistry involved in the tracer- matrix interaction as well as developed the unique yet effective experimental protocols (screening methodologies, analytical tools, pre-concentration and derivatization techniques) for achieving a highly efficient yet economically feasible and environmentally friendly geothermal tracer system. The most important findings have been reported to DOE in this Final Report and our 12 Quarterly Reports.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗