Durability of rock-filled-dam face-slab concrete

The present study examined the durability of face-slab concrete in concrete-faced rock-filled dams. The durability of face-slab concrete can be improved by optimising the amount of fly ash in the cement mixture. Durability tests, including permeability, abrasion resistance, repeated wetting and drying and repeated freezing and thawing, were conducted for face-slab concrete using different amounts of fly ash and polypropylene fibre. When the effect of the fly ash content on the concrete durability was evaluated, the results showed that a 20% fly ash content yielded an optimum durability level for concrete-faced rock-filled dams