A core of concrete taken from a major road bridge in the Strathclyde Region, Scotland, has been subjected to an applied mineralogical investigation, which involved stable isotope analysis, petrography, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.The structure is actively undergoing severe degradation due to mineral growth which is related to chemical reactions between the concrete and pore fluid. The physical growth of minerals causes disfigurement and structural weakening.Pyrite and pyrrhotine hosted by dolerite aggregate appear to have been oxidized, providing sulphate for the deposition of ettringite and minor gypsum, in spheroidal cavities within the cement paste. The rainwater which passes through the structure mobilising sulphate from original gypsum in the paste and oxidizing the iron sulphides is also involved in the further leaching of elements from the cement paste and in the deposition of calcite. The isotopic values of calcites forming a crust on the concrete and a stalactite under the bridge are similar with ~13C= -19%o PDB and 618%~= +16%o SMOW. We suggest that atmospheric carbon dioxide was the carbon source. The carbon isotopic fractionation of -12%v from atmospheric carbon dioxide of 6t3C = -7%0, (O'Neil and Barnes, 1971) can best be explained as due to a kinetic fractionation related to the hyper-basicity of the pore water. The equilibrium formation temperature of about 45~ calculated from the oxygen isotope values and assuming a 61SO value of meteoric water of -8%0 SMOW, is considered unreasonable. The exceptionally low 6180 values are attributed mainly to reaction kinetics and the calcite inheriting its oxygen, two-thirds from atmospheric carbon dioxide and one third from the meteoric formation water (O'Neil and Barnes, 1971). A 61sO value of atmospheric carbon dioxide of +41%o SMOW and a 8180 value of meteoric water of -8%0 SMOW, lead to a calculated 61So value for the calcites of +10%o SMOW. The calcites analysed have a value of +16%o and this may be due to partial reequilibration towards a calculated value of +21%o for calcite in equilibrium with the meteoric water at 20~ K E V W O R D S: concrete deterioration, pet rography, ettringite, calcite, stable isotopes.