Effect of Calcium Dissolution on the Fracture Properties of Concrete Exposed to Nitric Acid Environment

Abstract

The effect of calcium leaching by nitric acid on fracture properties of concrete was experimentally studied. The double-K fracture parameters were investigated using three-point bending beams, and the deterioration regularity of fracture properties of concrete chronically attacked by nitric acid was gotten on basis of these results. The load-crack mouth opening displacement curves under different nitric attack periods were obtained by pasting some strain gauges onto the pre-crack tip. On basis of the double-K criterion, the unstable fracture toughness as well as the initial fracture toughness was calculated according to the critical crack mouth opening displacement, the unstable fracture load and initial cracking load which can be obtained from the test. The experimental results indicated that the ratio of the initial fracture toughness to the unstable fracture toughness varied between 0.47 and 0.61 approximately. Both of the unstable fracture toughness and the initial fracture toughness decrease with attack period especially during the early 60 days, then drop to a stable trend gradually. In addition, the initial fracture toughness is less sensitive to acid attack compared with the unstable fracture toughness.