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Title: Carbonation of Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Cement Concrete During Twenty Years of Field Exposure

Author(s): G. G. Litvan and A. Meyer

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 91

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 1445-1462

Keywords: blast furnace slag; carbonation; chemical analysis; exposure; field tests; portland cements; portland slag cements; reinforced concrete; tensile strength.

DOI: 10.14359/10130

Date: 2/1/1986

Abstract:
Two experimental houses, one of ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete and the other of granulated blast furnace slag cement (GBFSC) concrete, were built under carefully controlled and documented conditions. After 20 years of exposure, cores were analysed and significant carbonation to 40 mm in depth was detected by TGA and the wet chemical method. More significantly, little Ca(OH)2 was found in the GBFSC concrete at all levels, so that any reinforcing steel would have to be considered susceptible to corrosion. According to Hg porosimetry results, the porosity of OPC concrete decreased after carbonation but that of GBFSC remained unchanged. In addition, increased permeability of GBFSC concrete with carbonation was indicated by coarsening of the pores, and the tensile strength of the surface region suffered a large decrease.