This book contains the full set of RILEM Recommendations which have been produced to enable engineers, specifiers and testing houses to design and produce concrete which will not suffer damage arising from alkali reactions in the concrete. There are five recommended test methods for aggregates (designated AAR-1 to AAR-5), and an overall recommendation which describes how these should be used to enable a comprehensive aggregate assessment (AAR-0). Additionally, there are two Recommended International Specifications for concrete (AAR-7.1 & 7.2) and a Preliminary International Specification for dams and other hydro structures (AAR-7.3), which describe how the aggregate assessment can be combined with other measures in the design of the concrete to produce a concrete with a minimised risk of developing damage from alkali-aggregate reactions.

This book presents the work of the RILEM TC 266-MRP, whose purpose was to enhance the reliability of rheological measurements performed on cement-based materials. It makes users more aware of potential sources of errors in the measurements, and provide guidelines on how to observe, counteract or eliminate the errors. Improving the reliability of rheological measurements will further enhance the use of rheology to investigate different aspects of the fresh properties of cement-based materials. After an introduction into mix design and applications, the book delivers a comprehensive overview of rheology definitions, behavior, and parameters; rheometers; measuring and analysis procedures; difficulties and challenges during measurements; relationships with specific empirical tests; and the behavior of concrete near a surface. This report on the measurement of rheological properties of complex materials such as concrete enables readers to understand the applicable concepts of rheology, and address the challenges on the measuring procedures, the rheological models and some errors and limitations of rheometers used.

The main outcomes of RILEM TC-226-CNM are summarized in this book. Key input was provided by researchers from countries that are main contributors in the R&D, design, construction, operation, and regulation of waste nuclear reinforced concrete facilities. Nuclear power plants and many of the facilities and structures used for the management of radioactive waste materials generated by the fuel cycle use concrete in their construction. RILEM TC 226 CNM covered several areas including functional and performance requirements for concrete structures; degradation processes; phenomenological modelling, field experiences, tests approaches, instrumentation and monitoring methods dedicated to performance assessments; service-life models; aging Management of Nuclear Power Plants, repair techniques; codes and standards specific to radioactive waste facilities.

Self-healing materials are man-made materials which have the built-in capability to repair damage. Failure in materials is often caused by the occurrence of small microcracks throughout the material. In self-healing materials phenomena are triggered to counteract these microcracks. These processes are ideally triggered by the occurrence of damage itself. Thus far, the self-healing capacity of cement-based materials has been considered as something "extra". This could be called passive self-healing, since it was not a designed feature of the material, but an inherent property of it. Centuries-old buildings have been said to have survived these centuries because of the inherent self-healing capacity of the binders used for cementing building blocks together. In this State-of-the-Art Report a closer look is taken at self-healing phenomena in cement-based materials. It is shown what options are available to design for this effect rather than have it occur as a "coincidental extra".

This volume represents the current knowledge on the effect of SCMs (slag, fly ash, silica fume, limestone powder, metakaolin, natural pozzolans, rice husk ash, special SCMs, ternary blends) on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete (e.g. early strength development, workability, shrinkage) and curing requirements. Other topics treated in the book are postblending vs preblending, implications of SCM variability, interaction between SCM and commonly used admixtures (e.g. superplasticizers, air entrainers).