Abstract
An experimental study on the resistance of concrete containing air-cooled slag (AS) and water-cooled slag (WS) against freeze–thaw cycles was conducted. For comparison, the durability of ASTM Type I ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete exposed to the same freeze–thaw environment was examined. To evaluate the durability of concrete exposed to the freeze–thaw environment, an experiment was conducted according to ASTM C 666 procedure A. Furthermore, the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity, surface electrical resistivity, and compressive strength of concrete specimens were measured after exposing them to freeze–thaw cycles for a predetermined period, and the results were compared with those of OPC concrete. The relationship between the freeze and thaw resistances of concrete and the air-void system (spacing factor and specific surface area) was identified. Furthermore, the microstructure of concrete exposed to freeze–thaw cycles was observed using scanning electron microscopy to identify the interfacial transition zone, cracks, and micropores. Experimental results showed that the resistance of blended cement concrete containing WS and AS against freeze–thaw cycles was significantly higher than that of OPC concrete. The concrete in which 10% of OPC was replaced by AS exhibited a similar durability as that of the concrete in which 40% of OPC was replaced only by WS. Therefore, it is expected that blended cement concrete containing WS and AS based on an appropriate mix proportion design will exhibit excellent durability in regions experiencing freezing temperatures.
Highlights
Alongside steel, concrete is one of the most important materials in the construction industry, and in general, the durability of concrete structures degrades because of some environmental causes, such as freezing and thawing, steel reinforcement corrosion due to chloride attack and carbonation, and chemical erosion
When porous media, such as concrete, are exposed to a freeze–thaw environment, the water in the pore solution is subjected to repeated freezing and expansion, resulting in expansive cracks in concrete because of the increase in the tensile stress caused by expansive pressure [3]
The most dominant mechanism reported to date is the glue spall mechanism proposed by Valenza and Scherer [4], who reported that the tensile stress caused by the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of ice and concrete leads to cracking
Summary
Concrete is one of the most important materials in the construction industry, and in general, the durability of concrete structures degrades because of some environmental causes, such as freezing and thawing, steel reinforcement corrosion due to chloride attack and carbonation, and chemical erosion. When porous media, such as concrete, are exposed to a freeze–thaw environment, the water in the pore solution is subjected to repeated freezing and expansion, resulting in expansive cracks in concrete because of the increase in the tensile stress caused by expansive pressure [3]. Many previous studies have reported that the freeze–thaw resistance of concrete is affected by the type and amount of binder. Many studies have reported that the concrete containing mineral admixtures possesses excellent frost resistance [5,6,7]. Mineral admixtures used as binders for concrete include blast furnace slag, fly ash, silica fume, and metakaolin. Blast furnace slag can be classified into water-cooled slag (WS) and air-cooled slag (AS), according to its cooling method [8]
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