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ConcreteThoughtsComparingConcreteDurabilityTestingMethodsConcreteThoughts
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ConcreteThoughts ConcreteBest
Practices ComparingConcrete
DurabilityTestingMethods

ComparingConcrete
DurabilityTestingMethods
22ndMay2014ConcreteBestPracticesbySarah
Coull

AbsorptionTests
Description
Absorptiontestingisapopularmethodof
determiningthewatertightness.Awaterabsorption
test,suchasBS1881122:2011isatestthat
measurestheamountofwaterthatpenetratesinto
concretesampleswhensubmersed.Lowabsorption
isconsideredapositiveresult.
WhereitsMostUseful
TheAbsorptiontestmethodisintendedtodetermine
thesusceptibilityofanunsaturatedconcretetothe
penetrationofwater,forboththeconcretesurface
andinteriorconcrete.
Limitations
Thistestdoeshavesomeinherentlimitations
including:
Shorttimedurationofsubmersioncompared
topotentiallongtermserviceconditions
Doesnotaccountforanytypeofreactive
processthattiesupwaterand
Assumesallweightgainiswaterandnot
reactiveprocesses.
Canbemisleadingwhenitcomestotheuseof
admixtures,suchashydrophiliccrystalline
waterproofingadmixtures.Absorptiontesting
measurestheamountofwaterthatpenetrates
intoconcretesampleswhensubmersed,but
failstotakeintoaccounttheinherentuseof
waterinthecrystallizationprocess,
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particularlyintheearlystagesofcuring(less
than28days)*.
*Theabsorptiontestresultswillimproveovertime
astheconcreteissaturatedandcrystalscontinueto
grow.Therefore,inthecaseofcrystalline
admixtures,testingtheabsorptionatlateragessuch
as56or90dayswillgivemorerealisticresults.

RapidChloridePermeability
Test
Description
TheRapidChloridePermeability(RCP)testisthe
standardtestmethodforelectricalindicationof
concretesabilitytoresistchlorideionpenetration.
TestmethodssuchasASTM1202,StandardTest
MethodforElectricalIndicationofConcretes
AbilitytoResistChlorideIonPenetrationconsists
ofmonitoringtheamountofelectricalcurrentpassed
throughcylindricalspecimensforadurationofsix
hours.Thetotalchargepassed,incoulombs,is
foundwiththeresultsrelatingtotheresistanceofthe
samplespecimentochlorideionpenetration.
WhereitsMostUseful
TheRCPtesthasgainedwideacceptanceasa
relativelyeasyandquickmethodfordetermining
concretepermeability.Overall,asperASTM,this
testmethodissuitablefortheevaluationofmaterials
andmaterialproportionsfordesignpurposes,and
forresearchanddevelopment.However,ithas
incorrectlybecomeoneofthetestsusedtoevaluate
thedurabilityofconcrete.RCPcanqualifyamix,
butnotnecessarilydisqualifyit.
TheRCPtestshouldnotbeusedtoaccurately
determinethepermeabilityofaconcretemix
containingsupplementarycementitiousmaterialsor
chemicaladmixtures.
Limitations
Thistestdoeshavevariousdrawbacksthatmakeit
unreliable,especiallyforthecomparisonofdifferent
mixdesignsorforevaluatingconcretedurability.
Someoftheselimitationsare:
Itmayallowforprematuremeasurements
(beforeasteadystateisachieved)
Highvoltageappliedleadstoanincreasein
temperaturetothesample,andcancause
physicalandchemicalchangesresultingin
unrealisticvalues
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Electriccurrentthatpassesthroughthesample
duringthetest,indicatesthemovementofnot
justchlorideions,butallionsinthepore
solution(thesampleselectricalconductivity)
therefore,thistestmaynotrepresentthetrue
permeability(orpotentialpermeability)for
concretethatcontainssupplementary
cementitiousmaterials(e.g.flyash,silica
fume,orgroundgranulatedblastfurnaceslag)
orchemicaladmixtures(e.g.waterreducers,
superplasticizers,orcorrosioninhibitors)
Therecanbemisleadingresultslargelydueto
thechemicalcompositionoftheporesolution,
ratherthanfromthetruepermeability
Concreteresistivity,ratherthanpermeability,
ismeasuredresistanceiscalculatedasvolts
dividedbycurrentandithasbeenshownthere
isafaircorrelationbetweenconcrete
resistivityandconcretepermeability,butitis
nottheintendeduseoftheRCPtestand
Thetesthaslowinherentrepeatabilityand
reproducibility.

DIN1048Part5PermeabilityTestMethod

WaterPermeabilityTest
Description
BSEN123908,Testinghardenedconcrete:Depth
ofpenetrationofwaterunderpressure,andDIN
1048Part5,Testingconcretetestingofhardened
concrete,waterpermeability,areequivalenttests
whichmeasurethedepthofwaterpenetrationinto
concretesamplessubjectedto0.5MPa(72.5psi)of
hydrostaticpressureoveraperiodofthreedays.
Concretespecimensarecastandcuredfor28days.
Aftercuring,samplesarethenplacedinthetesting
device.Thesampleholdersareopenatbothends,
withoneendsubjectedtohydrostaticpressure.
Afterthreedays,thesamplesareremovedfromthe
testingapparatusandcrackedinhalfvertically.The
maximumdepthofwaterpenetrationintothesample
isthenmeasured.
WhereitsMostUseful
Thesetestsdeterminethetruepermeabilityof
concretebyevaluatingtheresistanceofconcrete
againstthepenetrationofwaterunderhydrostatic
pressure.Apermeabilitytestshouldbeconsidered
thedominanttesttoevaluatethecasewhereby
concreteissubjectedtohydrostaticpressure.
Whenanalyzingtheresults,thesmallerthedepthof
penetrationresultsinahigherresistancetowater
underhydrostaticpressure.Thistestmethodis
usefulforstructuressuchasbasements,tunnels,and
waterreservoirsbecauseitrecreatesthepressure
conditionsthesestructuresaresubjectedtoina
realisticway.
Limitations

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Inspiteofmanyadvantages,likeothertests,thistest
methodhassomelimitations,suchas:
Foradenseandlowpermeablemix,thedepth
ofwaterpenetrationislow,makingitdifficult
tocomparethemixesthathavelow
permeation(forthesecasesthepressureor
testingagecanbemodified)and
Evaluatingcasesinwhichtheconcreteisnot
underhydrostaticpressure,thistestmethod
shouldbeconsideredasanauxiliarytest
methodandtestssuchasabsorptionasthe
dominatetest.

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