| Abstract: |
As infrastructure nears the end of its service life, society is facing an unprecedented maintenance crisis. A new technique that may be able to help address this crisis, extending the service life of bridge decks by reducing freeze/thaw damage through the incorporation of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), has been investigated. The abilities of two lightweight aggregates (LWAs) to absorb four different PCMs were quantified using a novel apparatus, and compressive strength, isothermal calorimetry, and thermal property analyses were used to determine the effects of PCM incorporation on the physical properties of mortars. These data were used to refine a previously-developed model, and determine locations in the United States where PCM incorporation may be a viable technology. |
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