Water permeability of fiber reinforced concrete subjected to constant and cyclic tensile loading

Author(s): C. Desmettre, J.P. Charron
Paper category: Conference
Book title: 8th RILEM International Symposium on Fiber Reinforced Concrete: challenges and opportunities (BEFIB 2012)
Editor(s): Joaquim A.O. Barros
Print ISBN: 978-2-35158-132-2
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-133-9
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Pages: 692 - 703
Total Pages: 11
Language: English

Abstract: 
An innovative permeability device was used to measure the water flow in reinforced normal strength concrete (NSC) and fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) submitted simultaneously to constant and cyclic tensile loading. Crack pattern and crack opening under the same loading conditions were measured on companion specimens. Experimental results showed that water penetration in the NSC and FRC under constant loading was reduced by 50 and 70 % after 6 days. The significant reduction in water ingress was mainly related to the formation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Besides, water penetration in the NSC and FRC under cyclic loading was affected by two opposite phenomena: crack propagation and self-healing. For NSC specimens, self healing compensated globally the increase of permeability due to crack propagation. For FRC specimens, the effect of self-healing overcame the impact of crack growth and led to a reduction of the water permeability. Those trends indicate that thinner and rougher cracks of FRC promote the self-healing phenomenon.

Online publication: 2013
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00