Waste water networks are often constructed with precast concrete pipe sections, which are prone to deterioration due to acidic sewer conditions, which may result in structural and functional failures within their service life. Aiming at gudelines for production of durable precast concrete pipe sections for waste water lines, QEMSCAN (Quantita- tive Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy) was used to analyse the evolution of cementitious phases of sewer concrete after biogenic acid attack. Two concrete mixes; a blend of Sulphate Resisting Portland Ce- ment and Fly Ash and Calcium Sulpho-Aluminate cement, with calcite and siliceous aggregates, were subjected to a field sewer environment, for about two years, and monitored for their performance.
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Alice T Bakera, Mark G Alexander, Hans Beushausen, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa