Salvador, Michael. Effect of accelerated curing on surface resistivity and rapid chloride permeability of high performance concrete. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3KS6Q42
DescriptionRecently, many bridges have been built using High Performance Concrete (HPC) to increase their durability. However, when subjected to cracking or exposed to aggressive environments, their durability gradually diminishes, causing corrosion of reinforcement in the deck. This phenomenon is one of the major factors causing delamination and structural deficiencies of concrete decks. The corrosion risk is directly related to the chloride ion permeability of the concrete, which can be determined using permeability testing at a minimum of 56 days. Since the permeability testing is time consuming and labor–intensive, many of State Department of Transportations (DOT’s) are exploring the use of more expedient and less variable testing methods. To evaluate the long-term durability aspects of HPC at an earlier acceptance age but with a lower cost, two new tests are investigated as potential replacements: accelerated curing and concrete resistivity measurement. There is a need to understand the effect of accelerated curing on concrete resistivity and chloride ion permeability as a measure of durability. This paper describes an experimental program to evaluate the effects of accelerated curing on durability performance of HPC. The Surface Resistivity (SR) and the Rapid Chloride Permeability (RCP) and Rapid Migration (RM) tests were performed on concrete cylinders cured under accelerated as well as normal wet curing conditions. Results show that the SR test can substitute the RCP and RM tests with moderate accuracy. Moreover, accelerated curing can expedite the time needed to test permeability, reducing the cost to both DOT’s and contractors. SR testing combined with accelerated curing correlated well with results from RCP and RM testing, providing a vast reduction in expenses.