Title:
Diffusion of Chloride Ions in High-Performance Mortars
Author(s):
Anik Delagrave, Jacques Marchand,
Eric Samson, Michel Pigeon,
and Jean-Pierre Ollivier
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
167
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
175-192
Keywords:
Chlorides; diffusion; high-performance concretes; mortars (material).
DOI:
10.14359/6286
Date:
3/1/1997
Abstract:
The diffusion mechanisms of chloride ions into ordinary and high performance mortars were studied. Four different mortar mixtures were tested. Test parameters included the water/binder ratio (0.25 and 0.45) and the use of silica fume. An ASTM type III cement was used in the preparation of the 0.25 water/binder ratio mortars while the 0.45 water/binder ratio mixtures were prepared with an ASTM type I. For all mixtures, the sand volume fraction was maintained constant at 50%. The diffusion properties of the mortars were studied according to two different experimental procedures. In a first series of tests, apparent diffusion coefficients were calculated from chloride ion profiles measured after a 12-month immersion period. In a second series, a migration test (where the chloride ion penetration is accelerated by the application of an electrical potential of 10 volts) was used to investigate the transport properties of the four mortars. All test results clearly show that the reduction of the water/binder ratio and the use of silica fume contribute significantly to the reduction of the chloride ion penetration. The consequences of these results on the long-term durability of high-performance concrete structures and, more specifically, on their ability to resist to reinforcing steel corrosion are discussed. The ability of the accelerated migration test to reliably predict the penetration of chlorides in cement-based materials after only a 14-day test period is also discussed.