LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT SULFATE RESISTANCE TESTING METHODS FOR EVALUATING CONCRETE DURABILITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30857/2786-5371.2026.3.2Keywords:
concrete, concrete sulfate resistance, testing methods, biogenic corrosion, sewer networks, accelerated testing, wastewater treatment facilitiesAbstract
Purpose. The purpose of this work is to identify and systematize the main limitations of current sulfate resistance testing methods for concrete that reduce their reliability in predicting the actual behaviour of structures under aggressive service environments, as well as to analyse promising directions for overcoming these limitations, taking into account Ukraine's needs in the recovery and modernization of wastewater infrastructure.
Methodology. The study is based on a systematic review and qualitative synthesis of data derived from primary experimental studies, narrative and systematic reviews, and regulatory documents. Source screening was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases according to criteria focused on sulfate resistance testing methods, identification of protocol limitations, and examination of the correlation between laboratory and field results. The practical part was developed on the basis of data from the National Report on the Quality of Drinking Water and the State of Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal in Ukraine in 2024.
Findings. Six main categories of limitations have been identified: inability to adequately reproduce real service conditions, imperfection of existing standards, time-scale constraints, insufficient reliability of measurement indicators and approaches, non-representativeness of specimens and materials, and inconsistency between chemical and biogenic testing methods. It has been established that accelerated tests using highly concentrated solutions can alter the mechanisms of degradation rather than merely accelerate them. The current standards ASTM C1012, SIA 262/1, CSA A3004-C8, DIN 19573 and GB/T 50082 differ substantially in testing conditions and evaluation criteria, while the European Committee CEN does not have a unified protocol.
Originality. It consists in the systematic alignment of methodological limitations of international sulfate resistance testing protocols with the applied requirements for evaluating concrete durability under conditions of infrastructure crisis in Ukraine, which has made it possible to substantiate priority directions for adapting these protocols to the needs of the wastewater sector recovery.
Practical value. The proposed systematization of limitations can be used in the formulation of technical specifications for laboratory testing of concrete intended for the repair and reconstruction of 417 wastewater treatment facilities and more than 14.7 thousand kilometres of dilapidated centralized sewerage networks, as well as for the harmonization of national regulatory documents with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine No. 2887-IX and the directives of the European Union.
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