The influence of the freeze-thaw loading cycle on the ingress of chlorides in concrete

Author: Miguel Ferreira, Markku Leivo, Hannele Kuosa and David Lange
Paper category: Proceedings
Book title: Proceedings of the International RILEM Conference on Materials, Systems and Structures in Civil Engineering Conference Segment on Frost Action in Concrete
Editor(s): Marianne Tange Hasholt, Katja Fridh and R. Doug Hooton
ISBN:978-2-35158-182-7
e-ISBN:978-2-35158-183-4
Publisher:RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year:2016
Pages:42-51
Total Pages:10
Language:English

Abstract: Recent research has drawn attention to the interaction of degradation mechanisms such as frost attack and chloride penetration occurring in the typical environmental conditions of the Nordic countries. Frost attack of concrete affects the chloride penetration by reducing the concrete cover, and more importantly, by changing the characteristics of the surface and internal concrete due to cracking. Literature shows that a long period of freezing conditions will slow chloride ingress. New research results, however, show that the rate of chloride ingress can remain identical regardless of whether the tests are exposed to daily freeze-thaw cycling.
This paper presents these finding, which suggests that the interaction between the various transport mechanism (capillary water uptake, water and vapour diffusion and micro ice-lens pumping) is complex, and that no single mechanism consistently explains the test results. Even if freezing slows bulk transport, other mechanisms counteract the slowdown. Their combined interactions result in profiles identical to those of pure ponding under constant ambient temperature.

Online publication:2016
Publication type:full_text
Public price (Euros):0.00