Wear characterisation and degradation mechanisms of a concrete surface under ice friction

This paper focuses on the small-scale effects of the friction-induced wear of concrete in the case of ice-structure interactions. It gives the results of experimental investigations performed on the ice-concrete contact (cyclic friction and wear tests coordinated to optical observations and topographic measurements). These results underline the degradation process of concrete: cement paste particles pulled out of the concrete surface decrease the embedding of small aggregates in cement paste and finally leads to their ejection out of the concrete surface. Measurements of the wear rate of concrete show that a stable wear rate is obtained after erosion of the superficial layer of cement paste. It depends on the sliding speed and the pressure in the contact but is independent of the average roughness of the plate.