Durability of concrete

Submited by,
Pranam Raval(10CL050)
Saumya Shah(10CL055)
Yash Khandol(10CL019)

What is Durability!!!
Durability of concrete is defined as
its ability to resist weathering
action ,chemical attack, abrasion or
any other process of deterioration.
So that durable concrete will retain
its original form, quality and
serviceability when exposed to its
environment.

Factors affecting
Durability
Divided into two groups
1. External factors
2. Internal factors

1.External factors:
It includes
I. Physical, chemical or mechanical causes
II. Environmental, such as extreme temperatures,
abrasion and electrostatic action.
III. Attack by natural or industrial liquids and gases.

2. Internal factors
It includes
I. Permeability of concrete
II. Alkali aggregate reaction
III. Volume changes due to difference in
thermal properties of the aggregate
and cement paste.

Physical causes
Weathering-freezing and thawing effect

As the temperature of a critically saturated concrete is

lowered during cold weather, the freezable water held in
the capillary pores of the cement paste and aggregates
expands upon freezing.
This factor is not so important in India. But it is great
importance in cold countries.
Freezing and thawing causes expansion of concrete.
Hence, if concrete mass is subjected to alternate cycles
of freezing and thawing, it has detrimental effect on the
strength of concrete.
Freeze and thaw deterioration generally occurs on
horizontal surfaces that are exposed to water.
The expansion causes localised tension forces that
fracture the surrounding concrete matrix.

Other physical causes..

When concrete is damaged by impact or abrasion, the
cause is usually obvious and protection may be
necessary as well as repair.
Drying shrinkage is a slow process in thick members,
so it may lead to a gradual build-up of tensile stress if
it is restrained. The use of excessively wet, high
shrinkage concrete mixes will aggravate matters, as
will the use of shrinkable aggregates that occur in
some regions.
Restrained thermal contraction is a fairly frequent
cause of cracking, and often designers do not make
adequate provision for thermal movements.
Concrete may be damaged by environmental factors
such as fire or frost. Concrete gradually loses strength
with increase in temperature above about 300C .

Carbonation
The carbon dioxide(CO2) present in the atmosphere reacts
in the presence of water with hydrated cement minerals,
converting calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] to calcium
carbonate [CaCO3].
The carbonation penetrant rates beyond the exposed
surface of concrete only very slowly.
The import factors affecting rate of carbonation
are

Grade of concrete
Relative humidity
Permeability of concrete
Cover to reinforcement
Time

Chemical causes
1.Acid attack
Portland-cement concrete is a highly alkaline material
and is not very resistant to attack by acids.
The deterioration of concrete by acids is primarily the
result of a reaction between the acid and the products of
the hydration of cement. Calcium silicate hydrate may
be attacked if highly concentrated acid exists in the
envir- onment of the concrete structures.
In most cases, the chemical reaction results in the
formation of water-soluble calcium compounds that are
then leached away.
If the acid is able to reach the rein- forcing steel through
cracks or pores in the concrete, corrosion of the
reinforcing steel will result and will cause further
deterioration of the concrete.

Prevention.
A dense concrete with a low water-cement
ratio (w/c) may provide an acceptable degree
of protection against a mild acid attack.
Portland- cement concrete, because of its
composition, is unable to withstand attack by
highly acidic solutions for long periods of time.
Under such conditions, an appropriate surface
coating or treatment may be necessary.

2.Alkali silica reaction(ASR)

Some aggregates containing silica that is soluble in
highly alkaline solutions may react to form a solid
nonexpansive calcium-alkali-silica complex or an
alkali-silica complex which can imbibe considerable
amounts of water and then expand, disrupting the
concrete.
Leading to loss of strength, elasticity and durablity of
concrete.

Prevention.
In general, the best prevention is to avoid using
aggregates that are known or suspected to be
reactive or to use a cement containing less than 0.60
percent alkalies.

3.Sulphur attack
Naturally occurring sulfates of sodium, potassium,
calcium, or magnesium are sometimes found in soil or in
solution in ground water adjacent to concrete structures.
The sulphate ions in solution will attack the concrete.
There are apparently two chemical reactions involved in
sulphate attack on concrete.
Sulphates in solution can combine with the tri-calcium
aluminate (C3A) in Portland cement, to form a
sulphoaluminate hydrate, causing expansion of the
matrix which turns white and becomes soft.
The form of sulphate present in uncontaminated
groundwater is normally calcium sulphate, which has
limited solubility. Some other salts, such as magnesium
sulphate, are much more readily soluble in water and can
form stronger solutions, so they are more dangerous.

 Prevention.
By using following methods...
1) Use of sulphate resisting cement
2) Addition of pozzolana
3) Quality of concrete
4) Use of air-entrainment
5) High-pressure steam curing
6) Use of high-alumina cement
7) Lining of polyethylene sheet

What is corrosion?

The
chemical
or
electrochemical
reaction
between
a
material
and
its
environments that properties.

Corrosion process:

Chemical

Electrochemical

Physical

reduced to pH level
of less than 10 due
to that ingress of
Carbon dioxide
the passivity of steel
can be destroyed by
the ingress of
chloride

Galvanic cells get

established by
forming locally or
generally cathodic
and anodic sites
resulting in a flow of
current with moist
concrete serving as
electrolyte .

Rust experiences a
volume growth as
high as six to seven
times of original
corroding metal

Electrochemical:

Physical Process:

Methods of Corrosion
Control:
Barrier Protection
Provided by a protective coating that acts as a barrier
between corrosive elements and the metal substrate

Cathodic Protection
Employs protecting one metal by connecting it to
another metal that is more anodic, according to the
galvanic series

Corrosion Resistant Materials

Materials inherently resistant to corrosion in certain
environments

Barrier
Protection
Paint
Powder coatings
Galvanizing

Sulphur Infiltrated concrete

(SIC)
A relatively new corrosion resistant material that contains
aggregates, sand and sulphur polymer cement binder.
Sulphur concrete is mixed and placed at a elevated
temperature.
It rapidly gains high strength over a few hours of cooling and
provides an economic long-term performance in many harsh
environments.
However, sulphur-infiltrated concrete is unstable in alkaline
solutions and when submerged in water over long periods.

Sulphur Concrete

Causes of cracks in concrete

Anatomy Of Repair
Step 1: Understanding the Crack
Step 2: Preparing the surface for Repair
Step 3: Proper procedure for Repair

Deteriorated
surface

crack
Heavily
corroded
reinforcement
spall
steel
Contaminated
concrete
De-lamination

Surface
preparation

Repair
system

Durable
repair
material
Bonding new
to
old
Rein. Steel
protection
Steel reinforcement
cleaning
Concrete surface condition
Removal of contaminated concrete
and under cutting of exposed
reinforcement steel
Edge conditioning

What leads to cracking??

Cracks are categorized as occurring either in

plastic or hardened concrete
Plastic concrete: 1. plastic shrinkage
2. settlement cracks

Fig: plastic shrinkage

cracks

Fig: settlement cracks

What leads to cracking??

In Hardened concrete: 1. Drying shrinkage
2. Thermal stress
3. Chemical reactions
4. Weathering
5. Corrosion of reinforcement
6. Poor construction practice
7. Construction Overload
8. Design and Detailing Error
9. External loads