Location
New York, New York
Date
14 Apr 2004, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Abstract
This paper presents the methodology and results of an investigation into the causes of structural damage to a reinforced concrete block wall building in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The structural damage was in the form of cracking and spalling of the lower courses of the block along the building perimeter. The structural damage to the building had been incorrectly attributed to the Hector Mine Earthquake by another investigator. An evaluation of the response of the building to the estimated level of ground shaking, coupled with site observations, conclusively ruled out the earthquake ground shaking as a cause for the structural damage. Site observations indicated corrosion of reinforcing steel as the fundamental cause for the cracking of the concrete block. Samples of the block, grout, soil, flatwork concrete, and irrigation water were collected during the site investigation. Chemical testing of the soil and water samples, which indicated high levels of sulfates and chlorides, substantiated the site observations that over time the exposure to the soil and water had resulted in an environment that facilitated and resulted in severe corrosion of the steel. This case study highlights the potential for serious structural damage in a corrosive environment, and also cautions against reaching engineering conclusions without a holistic understanding of the problem.
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Meeting Name
5th Conference of the International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
Publisher
University of Missouri--Rolla
Document Version
Final Version
Rights
© 2004 University of Missouri--Rolla, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
File Type
text
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Meldrum, Joanna L.; Gupta, Akshay; and McDonald, Brian, "Investigation of Structural Damage in a Corrosive Environment: A Case Study" (2004). International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering. 19.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/5icchge/session01/19
Investigation of Structural Damage in a Corrosive Environment: A Case Study
New York, New York
This paper presents the methodology and results of an investigation into the causes of structural damage to a reinforced concrete block wall building in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The structural damage was in the form of cracking and spalling of the lower courses of the block along the building perimeter. The structural damage to the building had been incorrectly attributed to the Hector Mine Earthquake by another investigator. An evaluation of the response of the building to the estimated level of ground shaking, coupled with site observations, conclusively ruled out the earthquake ground shaking as a cause for the structural damage. Site observations indicated corrosion of reinforcing steel as the fundamental cause for the cracking of the concrete block. Samples of the block, grout, soil, flatwork concrete, and irrigation water were collected during the site investigation. Chemical testing of the soil and water samples, which indicated high levels of sulfates and chlorides, substantiated the site observations that over time the exposure to the soil and water had resulted in an environment that facilitated and resulted in severe corrosion of the steel. This case study highlights the potential for serious structural damage in a corrosive environment, and also cautions against reaching engineering conclusions without a holistic understanding of the problem.
