Transport due to Diffusion, Drying, and Wicking in Concrete Containing a Shrinkage-Reducing Admixture
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 9
Abstract
Shrinkage-reducing admixtures (SRAs) influence moisture and ionic transport in concrete by altering the properties of the pore solution (the surface tension, viscosity, and contact angle). This paper reports measurements of water vapor desorption isotherms in cementitious systems with different SRA contents. In addition, isothermal drying and wicking experiments were performed for concrete with different SRA contents. Similar pore size distributions and pore volumes were measured for plain concrete and concrete containing SRA. Less water was lost during isothermal drying for systems with SRA. Further, there was a reduction in chloride ion penetration for concrete with a higher SRA content during wicking. The transport processes are described quantitatively using a modified moisture-ion transport model. The viscosity of the pore fluid, the capillary pressure, and the ionic diffusion coefficients are considered as a function of SRA concentration. The simulation results are comparable to the experimentally measured data, which sheds light on the feasibility of predicting the moisture loss and chloride migration in concrete containing SRA.
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Acknowledgments
The work described in this paper was conducted in the Pankow Laboratory and Sensing Laboratory at Purdue University. The contents of this paper reflect the perspectives of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The authors acknowledge Daming Luo, Qian Tian, and Sheng Qiang for their help with the experimental work.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 9 • September 2017
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 31, 2016
Accepted: Feb 16, 2017
Published online: May 31, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Oct 31, 2017
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