Physico-chemical aspects of soluble salt damage to thin bituminous road surfacing.

Abstract

Soluble salt contamination of highway construction materials occurs in

climatic zones where evaporation exceeds precipitation. This results in an

upward migration of moisture to the surface, where salts present in solution

are precipitated. These climatic zones cover large areas of Australia, Africa,

The Middle East and North and South America.

Existing guidelines and recommendations for road design and construction

in saline areas are based mainly on experience of local materials and

conditions without a full understanding of the damage mechanism. This

has resulted in conflicting advice on how to prevent salt damage.

A laboratory simulation approach to understand the salt damage process

has been reported. This paper is concerned with an appreciation of the

geochemical processes, which are important for current laboratory and

field testing programmes.

Citation

International Conference on the Implications of Ground Chemistry and Microbiology for Construction, University of Bristol, 29 June to 1 July 1992. TRL - Crowthorne, UK. pp. 20

Physico-chemical aspects of soluble salt damage to thin bituminous road surfacing.

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 1992