Water and Chloride Ion Transport Characteristics of Unsaturated Aeolian Sand Mortar under Capillary Absorption
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 9
Abstract
In this study, we investigate the water and chloride ion () transport properties of aeolian sand mortar (ASM) in an unsaturated state. Capillary absorption tests were conducted on ASM with varying water-to-binder ratios and different concentrations of chloride salts in clear water solutions. The content at different depths in ASM was determined using layered drilling, powder extraction, and chemical titration. The relationship between water and transport properties under capillary absorption was examined. The results indicate that moisture serves as a transport medium for in mortar, but its transport depth is significantly smaller than that of water, revealing a non-synchronization between the two transports. The transmission depth and capillary absorption ratio of water in the mortar decrease with increasing initial saturation. A linear relationship between water and transport depths is observed within the first 7 days of capillary absorption. Beyond 7 days, the water transport rate gradually slows down, while continues to be transported due to the presence of an ion concentration gradient. As the initial saturation increases, the percentage of gel pores decreases, and the percentage of transition pores and capillary pores in the matrix increases. Finally, incorporating the theory of unsaturated capillary water absorption, we introduce Boltzmann variables and develop a predictive model for the relative water content distribution under capillary water absorption in ASM. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the widespread application of ASM, and the proposed research model offers new insights into the underground environment and the durability of concrete structures affected by moisture transport.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52268044, No. 52168033), the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia (Grant No. 2021LHMS05019), the Fundamental Research Funds for Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology (Grant No. 2023QNJS161), the Open Fund Project of the Institute of Building Science of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology (Grant No. JYSJJ-2021Q01), and the Kundulun District Science and Technology Program Project (Grant No. YF2022012).
Author contributions: Junfeng Wang: Writing–original draft, Data curation, Formal analysis, Validation, Visualization. Wei Dong: Writing–review and editing, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Resources, Conceptualization, Project administration, Methodology.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 9 • September 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 20, 2023
Accepted: Mar 8, 2024
Published online: Jun 26, 2024
Published in print: Sep 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Nov 26, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Absorption
- Building materials
- Chemical compounds
- Chemical processes
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Chloride
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Environmental engineering
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Materials engineering
- Mortars
- Salts
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil water
- Soils (by type)
- Sorption
- Unsaturated soils
- Water and water resources
- Water management
- Water supply
- Water supply systems
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