ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CONCRETE ABSTRACTS PORTAL

  • The International Concrete Abstracts Portal is an ACI led collaboration with leading technical organizations from within the international concrete industry and offers the most comprehensive collection of published concrete abstracts.

International Concrete Abstracts Portal

  


Title: Mechanism Study of Effect of Coarse Aggregate Size on Permeability of Concrete

Author(s): Lijuan Kong and Yong Ge

Publication: Materials Journal

Volume: 112

Issue: 6

Appears on pages(s): 767-774

Keywords: capillary water absorption; chloride penetration; coarse aggregate; interfacial transition zone

DOI: 10.14359/51688181

Date: 11/1/2015

Abstract:
The chloride penetration and capillary water absorption of concrete with different water-binder ratios (w/b) and different sizes of coarse aggregate were studied as well as the microstructure of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ). The mechanism of the size effect of coarse aggregate on the permeability of concrete was explored. The results show that the negative effect of porous ITZ in concrete with a lower w/b is more significant, while a larger size of the coarse aggregate can decrease the volume fraction of the ITZ and reduce the content of harmful pores in concrete. Based on this study, the impermeability of concrete with coarse aggregates of 0.19 to 1.00 in. (4.75 to 25.0 mm) is optimal. Conversely, the tortuosity effect of aggregate in concrete with a higher w/b becomes prominent so that aggregate that is too large can shorten the permeation path, increase the porosity and macropore content and the trend of the orientation growth of calcium hydroxide (CH) crystals in the ITZ. Under this condition, aggregate with a size of 0.19 to 0.75 in. (4.75 to 19.0 mm) is preferred.