Deterioration of cement-based materials continues to result in substantially shortened lives for conventional structures due to poor performance and the need for early repair. With more advanced applications, where very long service lives are essential such as the storage of nuclear waste, understanding the degradation processes resulting in poor durability is very important. This book forms the proceedings of the latest in the series of symposia at the Materials Research Society Fall meeting in Boston dealing with cementitious materials in which the emphasis is on the chemical processes of deterioration. With contributions from leading international researchers and specialists in the field, the book provides a reference for all those concerned with current thinking on the subject.

Deterioration of cement-based materials is a continuing problem, as it results in the substantial shortening of the lives of conventional concrete structures. The main costs result from poor performance and the need for early repair. With more advanced applications, where very long service lives are essential, such as the storage of nuclear waste, an understanding of the degradation processes in order to predict long term performance is very important. this book forms the proceedings of the latest Symposia at the Materials Research Society Autumn meeting in Boston.