Breakdown of Steel Reinforced Concrete
with High Pressure Foam

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This project, titled "High-Pressure Foam Method for the Fracture, Demolition, and Stripping of Concrete Structures" was funded by the Great Lakes Center for Truck and Transit Research, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute with matching funds from Applied Geodynamics Inc., Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

The objectives of the project were 1) to establish the capability of a Controlled Foam Injection (CFI) method to efficiently strip concrete from complicated and extensive steel reinforcement such as found in bridge decking or pavements. This would include the ability of the method to efficiently break a variety of reinforced concrete geometries (e.g. slabs, columns, massive structures, etc.); and 2) to determine those concrete, reinforcement and foam parameters to which efficient stripping or breakage is most sensitive. This would include obtaining experimental data for an evaluation of the utility and efficiency of the CFI method for commercial pavement and decking stripping, breakage, demolition and repair work.

The test results demonstrated the unique capability of the CFI method to fracture and strip a layer of concrete from a reinforced concrete structure, although the results were obtained on freshly poured rather than weathered and degraded concrete structure. Further, the tests demonstrated that the CFI method produces no ground vibrations, airblast or flyrock compared to explosives-based methods. The foam components are biodegradable and environmentally benign.

To see the series of pictures click here. To see an animated pictures click here To see an individual picture click on the deferrent item below.

The franc3d simulation result can be viewed by clicking here

Test 21

Test 33b

Test 34b

Test 42