Approximate migration coefficient of percolated interfacial transition zone by using the accelerated chloride migration test

Abstract

In this study, the electrochemical technique is applied to accelerate chloride ion migration in cement-based material to estimate its migration coefficient. In order to investigate the chloride migration coefficient of percolated interfacial transition zone (ITZ) on the chloride migration coefficient of specimen, specimens with cylindrical aggregates of the same height as the specimen were cast and tested. In this study, the volume fraction of aggregate is constant and the varied lateral surface area of the aggregate cylinder was obtained by using different diameters and number of aggregate. The chloride migration coefficient of cement-based material was determined experimentally as a function of the lateral surface area of aggregate. A model obtained for the migration coefficient of cement-based material and the regression analysis are used to determine the approximate chloride migration coefficient of the percolated ITZ. Based on the experimental and regression analytical results, the approximate percolated ITZ migration coefficient is 40.6, 35.5, and 37.8 times of the altered migration coefficient of matrix mortar for the water/cement (w/c) ratio of 0.35, 0.45, and 0.55, respectively.