Strength and durability of lightweight concrete in hot marine exposure conditions

Abstract

The paper presents results on strength development and durability of 35 and 50 MPa total lightweight and 50 MPa normal weight concretes exposed to hot marine exposure conditions for a period of two years. An initial water curing of 7 days and subsequent seaside exposure is more beneficial for the strength development of light-weight concrete than it is for normal weight concrete. One day initial curing and subsequent seaside exposure was not very conductive for the strength development of both lightweight and normal weight concretes. The water penetrability of total lightweight concretes was found higher than the normal weight concrete under all the initial curing conditions and on subsequent exposure to the hot-marine environment. In the same vein, the depth of carbonation for the total lightweight concretes was more than that of the normal weght concrete. On the overall, the results suggest that the higher the water penetrability of a given concrete, the more is the penetration of the damaging species like carbon dioxide, sulphate and chloride ions into a concrete.