recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
(OP)
A guy I work with came back from a seminar with this, and is fixated on this. We have been allowing recycled concrete for use as subgrade, and now this guy thinks our ductile iron pipes will be falling apart.
Anyone every heard of this? Had any experience with it? Know any resources I can consult?
Muchas Gracias.....
Anyone every heard of this? Had any experience with it? Know any resources I can consult?
Muchas Gracias.....





RE: recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
RE: recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
De nada.
RE: recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
I think Dgillette had an good observation about water chemistry in case of ground water. This area had a lot of coal mining, and my personal opinion is that the corrosive soils may be caused by groundwater reacting to sulfur gases coming off the coal beds, but my chemistry was never all that good. Thanks for the reply tho.............
RE: recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
By "it contains any soluble carbonates" I was referring to the recycled concrete containing the carbonates. In my very limited knowledge of cement, I recall it releasing calcium hydroxide in the curing process. Upon leaching by rain and exposure to CO2 in the air, that becomes calcium carbonate that appears as efflorescence sometimes (like on the green-colored concrete ret wall and patio I recently put in). Either that or hydroxide might be a good thing to have near your CI pipe to protect it from the acid in some small way.
DRG
RE: recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
http://www.cement.org/tech/cct_dur_corrosion.asp
RE: recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
The Paonia are still has active coal mining, but there were also plenty of mines in Bolder/Weld Counties (Denver area) and in the Rockrimmon and "Country Club" areas of Colorado Springs, to name a couple. Based on the "had", I would guess the Front Range, unless it is another area that I do not know had coal mining.
In addition to the PCA, you might also try calling Recycled Concrete Products. They sell a bunch of crushed concrete, and I am sure (at least hope) they would be keeping up with issues such as this.
RE: recycled concrete increasing soil corrosivity
http://www.dipra.org/ductile/
I think that the more important issue is what may come in contact with the pipe resulting from seepage from the surrounding soil that can migrate through the back fill.
Benign back fill is fine but doesn't protect piping subject to seasonal water movement that flushes chloride or sulfate out of the surrounding soil.