Water Absorption and Critical Degree of Saturation Relating to Freeze-Thaw Damage in Concrete Pavement Joints
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 3
Abstract
Fluid ingress is a primary factor that influences freeze-thaw damage in concrete. This paper discusses the influence of fluid ingress on freeze-thaw damage development. Specifically, this paper examines the influence of entrained air content on the rate of water absorption, the degree of saturation, and the relationship between the saturation level and freeze-thaw damage. The results indicate that whereas air content delays the time it takes for concrete to reach a critical degree of saturation it will not prevent the freeze-thaw damage from occurring. The results of the experiments show that when the degree of saturation exceeds 86–88%, freeze-thaw damage is inevitable with or without entrained air even with very few freeze-thaw cycles.
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Acknowledgments
The experiments reported in this paper were conducted in the Pankow Materials Laboratories at Purdue University. This work was supported in part by Compass Minerals and the Joint Transportation Research Program administered by the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented in this paper, and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Indiana Department of Transportation, nor do the contents constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. The authors appreciate the assistance of Gaurav Sant for his work in casting/cutting the specimens while he was a graduate assistant funded on this project. The authors also acknowledge many useful discussions with Dick Newell, John Poncher, Mike Byers, Tommy Nantung, Dave Andrewski, and Jan Olek.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 24 • Issue 3 • March 2012
Pages: 299 - 307
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 17, 2011
Accepted: Aug 29, 2011
Published online: Aug 29, 2011
Published in print: Mar 1, 2012
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