Experience with the ERC concept in-plant production control and in construction
In the future, the durability of concrete and reinforced concrete structures is planned to be extended by a performance-oriented concept. This concept is based on models for predicting the durability of concrete components, supported by test methods for describing the material resistance in relation to the relevant effects. As part of this process, concrete is classified into so-called exposure resistance classes (ERC), which are differentiated according to the type of exposure.
Initial investigations were carried out as part of the in-plant production control of a ready-mixed concrete facility to test the ERC concept in practice. For this purpose, samples were taken on five production days and tested for their durability-relevant concrete properties for a period of three and a half months,
In addition, representative ready-mixed concretes from various areas of application – ranging from civil engineering to building construction and underground engineering – were examined, taking into account exposure classes XD (chlorides) and XC (carbonation). The concretes differed in cement type and compressive strength class. For validation under real conditions, in addition to laboratory samples, demonstrator components were also manufactured on construction sites. From these, drill cores were taken for further analysis.
The results obtained so far provide valuable insights into the practicability of the ERC concept for in-plant production control and provide a basis for its future application in construction.
