PHYSICOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENTS OF WATER AS A SUPPORT FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF PATHOLOGIES IN THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE OF A DAM

Abstract

With the evolution of civil construction, there was a need to carry out analyzes of the behavior of concrete materials and structures due to deterioration processes that cause risks for users. Concrete dams are large-scale works that, because they are in contact with the aggressiveness of river water, can present pathological manifestations due to the physical-chemical and biological processes in the aquatic environment. Therefore, this article aims to evaluate the water of a river, which is located in the Rio da Dona dam, located in the municipality of Santo Antônio de Jesus, in Bahia, seeking to identify existing pathologies in the concrete based on the evaluation of physicochemical indices. To develop this research, test reports carried out by the concessionaire responsible for operating the supply dam were used, based on the evaluation of data from historical series regarding the collection and testing of water samples captured in the reservoir between the years 2009 and 2020. The results demonstrated that the average surface temperature presented during the period analyzed at all points was 27.07º C, the presence of Chloride, N. Ammonia and Sodium, presented values ​​lower than those established as a high rate of aggressiveness, turning into average of all analyzed points of 38.72 mg/L, 0.19 mg/L and 37.09 mg/L, respectively. The presence of total dissolved solids was high in certain periods, above the permitted level, but there was a reduction in recent years, with an average of 143.71 mg/L for the analyzed points. Other relevant parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, presence of calcium, among others, were not possible to analyze due to lack of historical data from the concessionaire responsible for the dam. This research aimed to verify whether there was a possible relationship between changes in physical-chemical parameters present in the river water that could indicate deterioration in the concrete, with a consequent risk to the safety of the dam. It can be concluded that the dam currently does not suffer from any apparent pathology, any type of degradation or cracks, but all water analysis parameters must be extended to further safeguard the structure.