Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-30T21:55:44.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Importance of Portland cement Composition to Mitigate Sewage Collection Systems Damage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2012

Luis Emilio Rendon
Affiliation:
Mexican Institute of Water Technology, Jiutepec, Morelos, México
Maria Eugenia Lara
Affiliation:
marudecori Consultants, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Montserrat Rendon
Affiliation:
Centre of Arts of the State of Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Get access

Abstract

The damage that the products of microorganism metabolism, in particular biogenic sulfuric acid, do to hardened concrete is known as concrete biodeterioration. These microorganisms, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are ubiquitous in the environment and they produce either hydrogen sulfide or sulfuric acid that can dissolve and disintegrate the concrete matrix. Their activity plays a very important function in the whole spectrum of degradation processes such as corrosion of reinforced metals and concrete.

In Canada and in the northern part of the United States, concrete structure failures from concrete biodeterioration are less common than in the southern part of the United States and in Mexico, nevertheless, it is a serious and expensive problem in hydraulic structures and sewage collection systems, which rapidly deteriorate. Also, leaking sewage systems result in the loss of groundwater resources particularly important in this arid region. Almost every city in the Mexican-American border region, who’s combined population is more than 15 million people, faces this problem. The U.S. cities have made some provision to face these concrete structure problems, but the Mexican cities have made less effort. Additives and admixtures are used to improve the properties of the concrete; nonetheless, we have exposed here the importance of the factual composition of the Portland cement and concrete to mitigate concrete biodeterioration in the hydraulic structures and sewage collection systems.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Peach, J. and Williams, J.. (2003). “Population Dynamics of the U.S.-Mexican Border Region.” Unpublished, forthcoming SCERP Monograph. San Diego: SCERP/SDSU Press. http://www.scerp.org/population.htm.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of State. (1944). Utilization of waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande. Treaty Series 994, Treaty between the United States of America and Mexico. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Lee, E.Y., Cho, K.S. and Ryu, H.W., (2000) Biotechnol. Bioprocess Eng. 5: 4852.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boon, A.G., (1995). “Septicity in sewers: causes, consequences and containment”, Wat. Sci. Tech., 31(7), p. 237253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rigdon, J.H., and Beardsley, C.W. (1956). Corrosion of concrete by autotrophs. Corrosion. 14: 6062.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nica, D., Dickey, J., Davis, J., Zuo, G., and Roberts, D.J. (2000). Isolation and characterization of sulfur oxidizing organisms from corroded concrete in Houston sewers. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation. 46: 6168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kelly, D.P., and Wood, A.P. (2000). Reclassification of some species of Thiobacillus to the newly designated genera Acidithiobacillus gen. nov., Halothiobacillus gen. nov. and Thermithiobacillus gen. nov. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 50: 511516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hernandez, M.T., Marchand, D.J., Roberts, D.J. and Peccia, J.L (2002). In situ assessment of active Thiobacillus species in corroding concrete sewers using fluorescent RNA probes. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation. 49: 271276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, C.D. (1947). Species of sulfur bacteria associated with the corrosion of concrete. Nature. 159 (4039) 4394408.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milde, K. W., Sand, W., and Bock, E. (1983) Thiobacilli of the Corroded Concrete Walls of the Hamburg Sewer System, J. Gen. Microbiol. 129, 13271333.Google Scholar
Rendon-Diaz-Miron, L. E. (1997) Non published results from the Mexican Institute of Water Technology.Google Scholar