• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.37-46
• /
• 2024

This study investigates the evolution of concrete damage due to chloride-induced steel corrosion through Impact-echo (IE) testing. Three reinforced concrete specimens, each measuring 1500 mm in length, 400 mm in width, and 200 mm in thickness, were fabricated using three concrete mixture proportions of blended cement types: ordinary Portland cement, ground granulated blast-furnace slag and fly ash. Steel corrosion in the concrete was accelerated by impressing a 0.5 A current following a 35-day cycle of wet-and-dry saturation in a 3% NaCl solution. Initial IE data collected during the saturation phase showed no significant changes, indicating that moisture had a minimal impact on IE signals and highlighting the slow progress of corrosion under natural conditions. Post-application of current, however, there was a noticeable decline in both IE peak frequency and the P-wave velocity in the concrete as the duration of the impressed current increased. Remarkably, progressive monitoring of IE proves highly effective in capturing the critical features of steel-corrosion induced concrete deterioration, such as the onset of internal damages and the rate of damage propagation. These results demonstrate the potential of progressive IE data monitoring to enhance the reliability of diagnosing and prognosticating the evolution of concrete damage in marine environment.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.104-111
• /
• 2015

This study shows the mechanical properties of alkali-activated slag cement (AASC) synthesized using sulfate with NaOH solution. The used sulfates were calcium sulfate ($CaSO_4$, denoted CS) and sodium sulfate ($Na_2SO_4$, denoted SS). The replacement ratio of sulfates was 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0% by weight of slag. NaOH solution of 2M and 4M concentration was used. A sample was activated with sulfate and activated with blended activator (blending NaOH solution with sulfate) respectively. 24 mix ratios were used and the water-binder weight ratio for the test was set 0.5. This research carried out the compressive strength, flexural strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), absorption and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the case of samples with CS, sample with 7.5% CS, sample with 2M NaOH+5.0% CS and sample with 4M NaOH+5.0% CS showed the good performance in the strength development. In the case of samples with SS, sample with 10.0% SS, sample with 2M NaOH+7.5% SS and sample with 4M NaOH+2.5% SS obtained good performance in strength. The results of UPV and water absorption showed a similar tendency to the strength properties. The XRD analysis of samples indicated that the hydration products formed in samples were ettringite, CSH and silicate phases. In this study, it is indicated that when compared to the use of sulfate only, the use of both sulfate and NaOH solution makes mechanical properties of AASC better.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.245-253
• /
• 2009

The importance of chloride ions in the corrosion of steel in concrete has led to the concept for chloride threshold level (CTL). The CTL can be defined as the content of chlorides at the steel depth that is necessary to sustain local passive film breakdown and hence initiate the corrosion process. Despite the importance of the CTL, due to the uncertainty determining the actual limits in various environments for chloride-induced corrosion, conservative values such as 0.4% by weight of cement or 1.2 kg in 1 $m^3$ concrete have been used in predicting the corrosion-free service life of reinforced concrete structures. The paper studies the CTL for blended cement concrete by comparing the resistance of cementitious binder to the onset of chloride-induced corrosion of steel. Mortar specimens were cast with centrally located steel rebar of 10 mm in diameter using cementitious mortars with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and mixed mortars replaced with 30% pulverized fuel ash (PFA), 60% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and 10% silica fume (SF), respectively, at 0.4 of a free W/B ratio. Chlorides were admixed in mixing water ranging 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0% by weight of binder(Based on $C1^-$). Specimens were curd 28 days at the room temperature, wrapped in polyethylene film to avoid leaching out of chloride and hydroxyl ions. Then the corrosion rate was measured using the polarization resistance method and the order of CTL for binder was determined. Thus, CTL of OPC, 60%GGBS, 30%PFA and 10%SF were determined by 1.6%, 0.45%, 0.8% and 2.15%, respectively.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.15 no.9
• /
• pp.576-587
• /
• 2015

This paper presents a quantitative evaluation of water permeability in concrete with cold joint considering mineral admixture and loading conditions. Concrete samples with OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) and GGBFS(Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag) are prepared considering 0.6 of W/C ratio and 40% of replacement. 30% and 60% loading levels for compression and 60% loading level for tension are induced to concrete samples. In compression conditions, the permeability in control case shows $2.41{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ in OPC concrete, and it changes to $2.07{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (30% of peak) and $2.36{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (60% of peak). The results in GGBFS concrete shows the same trend, which yields $2.17{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (control), $1.65{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (30% of peak), and $1.96{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (60% of peak), respectively. In tensile conditions, the permeability increases from $2.37{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (control) to $2.67{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (60% of peak) while that in GGBFS concrete increases from $2.17{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (control) to $2.24{\times}10^{-11}m/s$ (60% of peak). Permeability coefficients decreases in 30% of compressive level but increases in 60% level, while results in tensile level increases rapidly. This shows pore structure in concrete is condensed and with loading and permeability increases due to micro-cracking. Permeability evaluation considering the effects of loading conditions, cold joint, and GGBFS is verified to be important since water permeability greatly changes due to their effects.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.47-56
• /
• 2020

In this study, three levels of W/B(Water to Binder) ratio (0.37, 0.42, 0.47) and substitution ratio of GGBFS (Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag) rate (0 %, 30 %, 50 %) were considered to perform RCPT (Rapid Chloride Diffusion Test) at the 1,095 aged day. Accelerated chloride diffusion coefficient and passed charge of each concrete mixture were assessed according to Tang's method and ASTM C 1202, and improving behaviors of durability performance with increasing aged days are analyzed based on the test results of previous aged days from the preceding study. As the age of concrete increases, the passed charge and diffusion coefficient have been significantly reduced, and especially the concrete specimens containing GGBFS showed a significantly more reduction than OPC(Ordinary Portland Cement) concrete specimen by latent hydraulic activity. In the case of OPC concrete's results of passed charge, at the 1,095 days, two of them were still in the "Moderate" class. So, if only OPC is used as the binder of concrete, the resistance performance for chloride attack is weak. In this study, the time-parameters (m) were derived based on the results of the accelerated chloride diffusion coefficient, and the deterministic and probabilistic analysis for service life were performed by assuming the design variable as a probability function. For probabilistic service life analysis, durability failure probabilities were calculated using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) to evaluate service life. The service life of probabilistic method were lower than that of deterministic method, since the target value of PDF (Probability of Durability Failure) was set very low at 10 %. If the target value of PDF suitable for the purpose of using structure can be set and proper variability can be considered for each design variable, it is believed that more economical durability design can be made.