Biodeterioration of Concrete

Engineers have become increasingly aware of the importance of ensuring durability of concrete, and this book examines the mechanisms, conditions, and approaches to avoiding biodeterioration of concrete, including selection of materials, mix proportioning, design, and use of protective systems.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 210 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Awareness of the importance of ensuring durability of concrete has been a growing concern of engineers, and there is now considerable understanding of the mechanisms that cause its deterioration and means of limiting such damage through the use of appropriate materials and approaches to design. Many of the deterioration mechanisms that affect concrete are the result of interaction with the non-living environment, such as chlorides in seawater, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and cyclic freezing and thawing. However, living organisms can also cause damage through both chemical and physical processes, which under the right conditions can be severe. This book looks at all forms of concrete biodeterioration together for the first time. It examines, from a fundamental starting point, biodeterioration mechanisms, as well as the conditions which allow living organisms (bacteria, fungi, plants, and a range of marine organisms) to colonise concrete. A detailed evaluation of chemical compounds produced by living organisms with respect to their interaction with the mineral constituents of concrete, and the implications it has for the integrity of structures, is also included. Approaches to avoiding biodeterioration of concrete are also covered, including selection of materials, mix proportioning, design, and use of protective systems.

Weight: 549g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367782122