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The role of porosity on ESA.pdf (1.25 MB)

The role of porosity in external sulphate attack

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journal contribution
posted on 2019-01-30, 14:54 authored by Tai Ikumi, Sergio Pialarissi-CavalaroSergio Pialarissi-Cavalaro, Ignacio Segura
Design codes promote a limitation of permeability (indirectly of porosity) to reduce the sulphate ingress and improve the resistance of concrete and mortar to external sulphate attack (ESA). However, porosity could also have a positive effect on durability by generating additional space to accommodate the expansive phases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of porosity in ESA. For that, changes at the macro-scale, phase composition and pore network are monitored for mortar compositions with different pore-size distribution. Results indicate the existence of two mechanisms: the capacity to accommodate expansive phases controls the durability during the initial stages of the attack, while at later stages durability is defined by the permeability. Results from specimens with air-entrainer suggest that the intentional increase of porosity towards maximising the capacity to accommodate expansive products might be a valid approach in order to reduce the expansive forces generated during ESA.

Funding

Support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through research project BIA2013-49106-C2-1-R is greatly acknowledged. T. Ikumi is supported by the fellowship programme FPI BES-2014-068524 of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

History

School

  • Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering

Published in

Cement and Concrete Composites

Volume

97

Pages

1 - 12

Citation

IKUMI, T., CAVALARO, S.H. and SEGURA, I., 2019. The role of porosity in external sulphate attack. Cement and Concrete Composites, 97, pp.1-12.

Publisher

© Elsevier

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Publisher statement

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Cement and Concrete Composites and the definitive published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2018.12.016

Acceptance date

2018-12-20

Publication date

2018-12-22

Copyright date

2019

ISSN

0958-9465

Language

  • en