A Novel Method of Crushing Glass Aggregates to Reduce the Alkali-Silica Reaction

Abstract

This study proposed a novel method of crushing glass aggregates to reduce the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Glass aggregates were crushed while immersed in different calcium bearing solutions. ASR measurement and compressive strength tests of mortars incorporating the glass aggregate were performed to investigate the feasibility of the crushing method. The results indicate that the crushing method was effective in both ASR mitigation and compressive strength improvement. Calcium nitrite solution was found to be more effective than calcium chloride solution for mitigating ASR damage. The ASR expansion after 14 days, measured in accordance with ASTM C1260, was 0.228% when the glass aggregates were conventionally crushed in air, which is potentially unsafe. This value decreased to 0.082% when the aggregates were crushed in calcium nitrite solution, a value which is considered innocuous. The compressive strength of the mortar was enhanced by approximately 12% compared to that of a mortar with conventionally crushed glass aggregate by incorporating glass aggregates crushed in calcium nitrite solution.