EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE WEAR OF A CONCRETE SURFACE UNDER ICE FRICTION

Marine structures constructed in polar and sub-polar regions are exposed to ice interactions controlled by the drift of ice floes. In the case of concrete structures, friction at the crushed ice-structure contact contributes to the wear of concrete. To study the small scale effects of the friction-induced wear of concrete, we have performed cyclic friction tests between concrete plates and ice. The contact conditions have been typical of what can be expected in ice-structure interaction conditions. Optical observations of ice and concrete surfaces and concrete surface topographic measurements were also performed.

Our experimental results underline the wear process: cement paste particles are pulled out of the concrete surface, which leads to the decrease of the embedding of small aggregates in cement and finally to there ejection out of the concrete surface. Calculation of the wear rate has been made for the different concrete plates. The evolution of the wear rate with time is made of two stages. A large wear rate is observed for the initial stage. It corresponds to the wear of a superficial layer of cement paste. In the second stage, the wear rate reduces to a lowest level where it is independent of the average roughness of the plate.

• INTRODUCTION

• EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP

• RESULTS

• ANALYSIS

• CONCLUSION

• REFERENCES