Title: Generalized Chloride Permeability Test for Blended and Nonblended Concrete

Author(s): Ashraf R. Mohamed, Wegdan W. El-Nadoury, Mohamed T. Ayyob

Publication: Materials Journal

Volume: 111

Issue: 3

Appears on pages(s): 327-334

Keywords: chloride; permeability; quality control; silica fume

DOI: 10.14359/51686578

Date: 5/1/2014

Abstract:
Corrosion of reinforcement represents a major challenge for concrete structures, particularly with the presence of chlorides. Currently, the rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT) represents an effective quality control practice for concrete chloride permeability. Nevertheless, the inclusion of pozzolanic materials shows some discrepancies in the results, which raises a question about the validity of RCPT as a generalized test. A proposed test is presented— a modified RCPT (MRCPT)—where the testing voltage is lowered to 30 V, and the chloride penetration depth is measured as an index of chloride permeability. Comprehensive research has been conducted on various concrete mixtures with and without silica fume as a pozzolanic material using the RCPT, MRCPT, and salt ponding test. A good correlation between the MRCPT and the standard methods has been found, demonstrating the validity of the proposed test.