COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF FREEZE–THAW RESISTANCE IN CONCRETE PAVEMENTS INCORPORATING SILICA FUME, CRUMB RUBBER, AND BASALT FIBER ADDITIVES
Abstract
Concrete pavements in cold and de-icing environments are prone to progressive deterioration caused by freeze–thaw cycles, especially when exposed to moisture and salts. Ensuring freeze–thaw resistance is therefore critical for extending pavement service life and reducing maintenance costs. This study investigates the durability performance of concrete mixtures modified with silica fume, crumb rubber, and basalt fiber—three materials with distinct mechanisms for enhancing freeze–thaw behavior. Eight mix types—including two control groups with different water–cement ratios—were exposed to 56 freeze–thaw cycles in 3% NaCl solution and evaluated using surface scaling, mass loss, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) retention as complementary durability indicators. While the silica fume and crumb rubber blends demonstrated excellent surface resistance, the silica fume-only mix experienced complete internal degradation despite low mass loss, exposing the limitations of surface-based indicators alone. Basalt fiber-reinforced concretes showed a clear dosage-dependent improvement in internal integrity, with the 10BF and 15BF mixes retaining over 77% of their initial UPV. These results emphasize the necessity of multi-indicator durability assessments and suggest that hybrid modification strategies may offer robust protection against freeze–thaw damage in pavement-grade concretes.
Keywords
Concrete pavement, Freeze-thaw resistance, Basalt fiber, Silica fume, Crumb rubber
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