Abstract
The Beijing–Taipei Expressway (Jing-Tai Expressway) of China reconstruction and expansion project (Qihe–Jinan section) features a 12-lane dual carriageway with high traffic volume. To ensure safe winter operation, deicing salt is heavily applied, necessitating enhanced salt freeze–thaw resistance of roadside crash barriers. In this project, manufactured sand was used as the fine aggregate in structural concrete. A systematic investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of stone powder content, air content, air-void spacing factor, and aggregate properties on concrete performance, including salt freeze–thaw resistance, rapid freeze–thaw durability, and compressive strength. The results revealed that non-air-entrained manufactured sand concrete exhibited extremely poor salt freeze–thaw resistance, with cumulative scaling exceeding 4000 g/m² after 28 cycles. The introduction of high-quality air voids (air content controlled between 4% and 6%) significantly improved both freeze–thaw and salt scaling resistance, reducing the scaling mass to 200–550 g/m² after just 8 salt freeze–thaw cycles. Under air-entrained conditions, stone powder contents up to 15% showed minimal negative impact on salt freeze–thaw performance. However, aggregates with high water absorption significantly increased scaling severity. By optimising aggregate selection, controlling air content, and limiting stone powder dosage, the developed high-durability manufactured sand concrete for crash barriers was successfully applied in this project and is now being promoted for broader use in other infrastructure applications.
Keywords
salt freeze–thaw resistance, air content, stone powder content, aggregate properties
Date of Version
2025
DOI
10.5703/1288284318207
Recommended Citation
Wang, Hao; Guo, Yongzhi; Xu, Kunmiao; Guo, Baolin; Wang, Yi; and Li, Qinfei, "Development of High-Durability Manufactured Sand Concrete for Salt Freeze–Thaw Environments" (2025). International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures. 13.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/icdcs/2025/ddm/13
Development of High-Durability Manufactured Sand Concrete for Salt Freeze–Thaw Environments
The Beijing–Taipei Expressway (Jing-Tai Expressway) of China reconstruction and expansion project (Qihe–Jinan section) features a 12-lane dual carriageway with high traffic volume. To ensure safe winter operation, deicing salt is heavily applied, necessitating enhanced salt freeze–thaw resistance of roadside crash barriers. In this project, manufactured sand was used as the fine aggregate in structural concrete. A systematic investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of stone powder content, air content, air-void spacing factor, and aggregate properties on concrete performance, including salt freeze–thaw resistance, rapid freeze–thaw durability, and compressive strength. The results revealed that non-air-entrained manufactured sand concrete exhibited extremely poor salt freeze–thaw resistance, with cumulative scaling exceeding 4000 g/m² after 28 cycles. The introduction of high-quality air voids (air content controlled between 4% and 6%) significantly improved both freeze–thaw and salt scaling resistance, reducing the scaling mass to 200–550 g/m² after just 8 salt freeze–thaw cycles. Under air-entrained conditions, stone powder contents up to 15% showed minimal negative impact on salt freeze–thaw performance. However, aggregates with high water absorption significantly increased scaling severity. By optimising aggregate selection, controlling air content, and limiting stone powder dosage, the developed high-durability manufactured sand concrete for crash barriers was successfully applied in this project and is now being promoted for broader use in other infrastructure applications.
