ALKALI-SILICA REACTION 

AT SEABROOK STATION

UPDATE ON TESTING PROGRAMS

OGUZHAN BAYRAK, Ph.D., P.E.

Director | Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory

Professor | Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
FSEL 2

STRUCTURAL TEST FACILITY
FSEL 3

CAPABILITIES

TESTING MULTI-AXIAL CLOSED LOOP CONTROL HIGH 

TEMPERATURE

INSTRUMENTATION HIGH SPEED NON-CONTACT HIGH PRECISION

FABRICATION IN-HOUSE 

WELDING LARGE SCALE IN-HOUSE MACHINING
AGENDA

SEABROOK TESTING PROGRAMS

FSEL 4

ANCHORS REBAR 

ANCHORAGE

ONE-WAY 

SHEAR
ANCHOR PROGRAM
ANCHOR PROGRAM

FSEL 6

Wedge Anchors Undercut Anchors

Medium size anchors, deep embedment

Medium size anchors, medium embedment

Half of all ASR-affected anchors installed 

before development of ASR.

Large size anchors, deep embedment

Medium size anchors , medium embedment 

Small size anchors , shallow embedment
ANCHOR PROGRAM

FSEL 7

Deep Anchor Test Setup Shallow Anchor Test Setup
PROGRESS TO DATE

FSEL 8

Deep Anchor Test Setup Shallow Anchor Test Setup

Specimen fabrication completed October 2012. 

Control tests completed in November 2012.

Post-installed anchors tested at low level of ASR in 

November 2013.
OUTLOOK

FSEL 9

• Environmental 

conditioning of blocks 

and beams is ongoing 

at FSEL 

• Testing of pre-installed 

anchors at a low level 

of ASR is to be 

completed in 

December 2013.
BEAM PROGRAM
SHEAR ANCHORAGE

BEAM PROGRAM

FSEL 11

Control Series I Series II

SC-1

SC-2

SC-3

Standard

Deep

Evaluate effect of ASR 

on shear strength and 

stiffness.

Evaluate efficacy of 

retrofit techniques. 

Establish baseline 

behavior, test 

repeatability and depth 

effect. 

SI-1

SI-2

SII-1

SII-2

SI-n SII-n

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪
SHEAR ANCHORAGE

BEAM PROGRAM

FSEL 12

Control Series I Series II

Evaluate effect of ASR 

on anchorage capacity 

and wall stiffness.

Evaluate efficacy of 

retrofit techniques. 

Establish baseline 

anchorage performance. 

AC-1

AI-1

AI-2

AII-1

AII-2

AI-n AII-n

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪
REPLICATION OF SEABROOK DETAILS

The reinforcement detailing...

...represents the lack of through-thickness 

reinforcement within structural walls

... will enable focused study of shear and 

anchorage behavior at current and future 

levels of ASR

FSEL 13
REPLICATION OF SEABROOK DETAILS

The concrete mixture...

... was developed through trial batching with 

representative coarse and fine aggregates

...is sufficiently reactive to obtain the 

necessary data in a timely manner

...yields mechanical properties that are 

representative of Seabrook structures

FSEL 14
CONCRETE MATERIALS

FSEL 15

Maine

Pike Industries

Westbrook, ME

Santa Ana CA

Lafarge Aggregates

Bernalillo, NM

Jobe

Cemex

El Paso, TX

Type I/II

Dragon Cement

Thomaston, ME
BEAM 

FABRICATION

CONDITIONING 

& MONITORING

STRUCTURAL 

TESTING

BEAM PROGRAM WORKFLOW

FSEL 16
AGGREGATE DELIVERY

FSEL 17
AGGREGATE STORAGE

FSEL 18
SIEVE ANALYSIS

FSEL 19
FABRICATION AREA

FSEL 20
CAGE FABRICATION

FSEL 21
FORMWORK

FSEL 22
READY MIX TRUCK

FSEL 23
AGGREGATE BATCHING EQUIPMENT

FSEL 24
AGGREGATE BATCHING

FSEL 25
AGGREGATE MOISTURE CORRECTION

FSEL 26
SODIUM HYDROXIDE ADDITION

FSEL 27
WATER ADDITION

FSEL 28
CEMENT BATCHING

FSEL 29
CONCRETE SAMPLING EQUIPMENT

FSEL 30
SLUMP TESTING

FSEL 31
CONCRETE PLACEMENT

FSEL 32
BEAM IDENTIFICATION

FSEL 33
CURING

FSEL 34
COMPRESSION TESTING

FSEL 35
HANDLING

FSEL 36
CONDITIONING

FSEL 37
EXPANSION MONITORING GRID

FSEL 38
EXPANSION MEASUREMENT

FSEL 39
CRACK MEASUREMENT

FSEL 40
SHEAR TESTING

FSEL 41
ANCHORAGE TESTING

FSEL 42
SHEAR ANCHORAGE

PROGRESS / OUTLOOK

FSEL 43

Control Series I Series II

SC-1

SC-2

SC-3

Standard

Deep

Evaluate effect of ASR 

on shear strength and 

stiffness.

Evaluate efficacy of 

retrofit techniques. 

Establish baseline 

behavior, test 

repeatability and depth 

effect. 

SI-1

SI-2

SII-1

SII-2

SI-n SII-n

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪

2/3 of the shear beams fabricated.

Fabrication, conditioning and 

monitoring efforts to continue until 

desired levels of ASR are achieved. 

1

st control test 

currently 

scheduled for 

Q1 of 2014.
SHEAR ANCHORAGE

PROGRESS / OUTLOOK

FSEL 44

Control Series I Series II

Evaluate effect of ASR 

on anchorage capacity 

and wall stiffness.

Evaluate efficacy of 

retrofit techniques. 

Establish baseline 

anchorage performance. 

AC-1

AI-1

AI-2

AII-1

AII-2

AI-n AII-n

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪

2/3 of the anchorage beams 

fabricated.

Fabrication, conditioning and 

monitoring efforts to continue until 

desired levels of ASR are achieved. 

1

st control test 

currently 

scheduled for 

Q1 of 2014.
Thank you!