Performance of Portland limestone cements in mortar prisms immersed in sulfate solutions at 5 °C

Abstract

The results of a test programme to investigate the sulfate resistance of mortars, immersed up to 12 months at 5 °C in magnesium sulfate and sodium sulfate solutions, is described. The mortars were prepared from four cements; a Portland cement, a sulfate-resisting Portland cement and two Portland limestone cements containing 15% by mass of an oolitic limestone and a carboniferous limestone. The mortar specimens were subject to BS 5328 Class 4A and 4B sulfate exposure conditions. These are the highest classes for concretes prepared using sulfate-resisting Portland cement (SRPC) before surface protection is required and are two and three classes higher than those recommended for concretes prepared using Portland cement (PC) and Portland limestone cement (PLC), respectively. Two free water-cement ratios were used, 0.5 and 0.75. Performance was monitored by visual assessment, expansion and changes in flexural and compressive strengths. At a free water-cement ratio of 0.75, the PC mortars and PLC mortars exhibited visually very severe attack with the former showing expansion and reductions in strength, and the latter mainly reductions in strength. At a free water-cement ratio of 0.50 both the PC mortars and PLC mortars showed slight/moderate to severe visual attack, the degree of deterioration appearing slightly greater in the PLC mortars, more especially those made with oolitic limestone. The PLC mortars also exhibited reductions in compressive failure load. The SRPC mortars exhibited little visual deterioration, no expansion, a small increase in flexural strength and no significant reductions in compressive strength. At a free water-cement ratio of 0.75 substantial amounts of thaumasite, together with ettringite was present in the surface layers of the deteriorated PLC mortars whilst ettringite was present in the surface layers of the deteriorated PC mortars. It is concluded that mortars made with a PC with a C 3A content of about 10% by mass were broadly similar in their vulnerability to sulfate attack at 5 °C as PLC mortars containing 15% limestone by mass, although the mode of attack was different.