Title:
Monitoring Water and Ionic Penetration into Cover-Zone Concrete
Author(s):
W. John McCarter and Malcolm Chrisp
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
97
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
668-674
Keywords:
absorption; slag; thermal conductivity
DOI:
10.14359/9980
Date:
11/1/2000
Abstract:
The influence of cyclic wetting and drying on the absorption characteristics of cover-zone concrete is presented in this paper. Portland cement concrete and concrete with partial replacement with fly ash and ground-granulated blast-furnace slag were used in the experimental program, with water and chloride solution applied at the suction surface. Electrical techniques were utilized in conjunction with a surface-applied, volumetric-gain method to study water and ionic movement. Monitoring the variation of electrical response across electrodes embedded within the cover region provided information on the depth and rate of water penetration, ionic ingress, and evidence of continuing hydration and pozzolanic activity. By combining depth of penetration data with the cumulative volumetric uptake of the samples, the effective porosity of the surface region can be estimated. Ponding studies were also conducted on replicate samples to study ionic ingress.