Title:
Water and Concrete: A Love-Hate Relationship
Author(s):
Adam Neville
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
22
Issue:
12
Appears on pages(s):
34-38
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
12/1/2000
Abstract:
Water is not just a liquid used to make concrete; it is involved in the whole life of concrete, for good or evil. Concrete in the environment is usually in contact, permanent or intermittent, with water, liquid, or in vapor form. Most actions on concrete in service, other than loading, involve water, either pure or carrying salts or solids. There are numerous relations between water and concrete and even multifaceted interactions between these two materials. I do not recall ever seeing a discussion, or even enumeration, of all of these relations in a single paper. And yet, this would be appropriate because water and concrete are the two materials most used by mankind: water in the first place and concrete in the second. I shall give the relevant quantities at the end of this article that will briefly explore the connection, or indeed the numerous connections, between concrete and water. This should dispel the notion that concrete is a dry subject!