Determination of chloride diffusivity through partially saturated Portland cement concrete by a simplified procedure

Abstract

A recently proposed methodology for measuring the diffusion coefficient of chloride ions through concrete partially saturated with water, has been applied to five high-early-strength Portland cement mortars. The method is based on putting solid NaCl in contact with the concrete surface during the diffusion test. The results obtained indicate a strong dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the water saturation degree. The ionic diffusivities through these mortars are higher than those obtained with the same approach for five pozzolanic cement mortars of similar compositions. It has been also shown that the proposed test methodology and a different one based on the interaction of HCl(g) with the tested concrete surface, can yield comparable results. The D values obtained are of similar magnitude, and the same type of dependence on the water saturation degree is found through both methods, when applied to similar Portland cement concrete mixes with cement content of about 350 kg/m3 and water/cement ratios between 0.5 and 0.6.