The present study suggested a mass change prediction model for sulfate attack of concrete containing mineral admixtures through an immersion test in sulfate solutions. For this, 100% OPC as well as binary and ternary blended cement concrete specimens were manufactured by changing the types and amount of mineral admixture. The concrete specimens were immersed in fresh water, 10% sodium sulfate solution, and 10% magnesium sulfate solution, respectively, and mass change of the specimens was measured at 28, 56, 91, 182, and 365 days. The experimental results indicated that resistance of concrete containing mineral admixture against sodium sulfate attack was far greater than that of 100% OPC concrete. However, in terms of resistance against magnesium sulfate attack, concrete containing mineral admixture was lower than 100% OPC concrete due to the formation of magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H), the noncementitious material. Ultimately, based on the experimental results, a mass change prediction model was suggested and it was found that the prediction values using the model corresponded relatively well with the experimental results.

Due to the absence of design guidelines for elevated light-rail structures in Korea, most elevated light-rail structures have been designed and constructed based on the design codes of conventional railway bridges and on the codes recommended by foreign vehicle manufacturers. This is the main reason why most elevated light-rail structures are massive or over-designed or poorly constructed economically. In this paper, the authors carried out field tests to analyze the braking forces caused by braking a train running at speeds of 50km/h, 60km/h, and 70km/h, acting on the elevated structures of rubber-wheeled Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains. The authors also briefly describe the analyzed results of the braking force acting on the substructures of elevated light-rail structures. The test-results presented here in this paper can be referenced when establishing design guidelines or standards for elevated structures of LRT systems.