Water Absorption and Electrical Conductivity for Internally Cured Mortars with a W/C between 0.30 and 0.45
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 2
Abstract
Internal curing has emerged over the last decade as an approach to counteract the negative effects associated with self-desiccation in low water-to-cement ratio (w/c) mixtures. Specifically, much of the early research on internal curing focused on the reduction of autogenous shrinkage. Recent work has demonstrated, however, that internal curing can also be beneficial in reducing drying-shrinkage cracking, reducing the propensity for thermal cracking, reducing fluid absorption, and reducing ion diffusion in concrete. However, several aspects of internal curing still require closer examination. One of these aspects is the application of internal curing for mixtures with a wider range of water-to-cement ratios. This paper describes results from experiments that investigated the potential use of internal curing in mortar systems with w/c ratios of 0.30, 0.36, 0.42, and 0.45 that were cured under sealed conditions, in terms of water absorption and electrical conductivity. Test results show that internal curing reduces the water absorption in all the systems. Similarly, results obtained on electrical conductivity at late ages (1 year) also show a benefit. Care needs to be taken to analyze electrical conductivity results at early ages because of the increased amount of fluid resulting from the inclusion of the prewetted lightweight aggregate.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by the Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Institute (ESCSI) and by the Joint Transportation Research Program administered by the Indiana Department. of Transportation and Purdue University (Project UNSPECIFIEDSPR 3211), and the authors gratefully acknowledge that support. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein, and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Indiana Dept. of Transportation or ESCSI, nor do the contents constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. The experiments reported in this paper were conducted in the Pankow Materials Laboratories at Purdue University. The authors acknowledge the support that has made this laboratory and its operation possible.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 24 • Issue 2 • February 2012
Pages: 223 - 231
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 21, 2011
Accepted: Aug 17, 2011
Published online: Aug 19, 2011
Published in print: Feb 1, 2012
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