ENVIRONMEN-RELATED CONCRETE DURABILITY/ QUALITY PROBLEMS

The absence of durability in concrete may be caused by the environment that the
concrete is exposed to or by internal causes within the concrete. Durability problems
related to environmental causes are steel corrosion, delamination, cracking,
carbonation, sulphate attack, chemical attack, scaling, spalling, abrasion and
cavitations. The following environmental conditions can affect concrete durability:-

Temperature
1. Temperature changes will cause changes in concrete volume. When
temperatures rise, the concrete slightly expands. When temperatures of the concrete
fall, it contracts. This causes cracking in the concrete.

2. A temperature change of 10°C to 20°C would be sufficient to cause the

restrained concrete to crack. If the cracks develop to the level of the reinforcing steel,
ingress of salt and moisture will cause the steel to corrode. Checking of the daily
temperature changes is recommended if cracks occur.

3. Seasonal changes in temperature range up to 50°C between summer and winter,

resulting in higher stresses than daily temperature changes, and more extensive
cracking. If large compressive stresses are developed due to the expansion of the
concrete, the slab may buckle upward and crack. Repeated tensile stresses will
cause the cracks to grow and lead to scaling, spalling, and delamination. In case
of severe deterioration try to determine if the cracks were there before the
scaling, spalling and delamination started by examining the entire surface for
some cracks that have not yet started spalling. A concrete slab that is 10 meters
long will expand 5 mm in length when the ambient temperature changes 50°C.

Moisture and Related Problems

4. Changes in the moisture content of concrete will cause concrete expansion and
contraction as follows:-

a. When concrete gains moisture, the concrete will slightly expand, or swell.
b. When concrete loses moisture, the concrete will contract, or shrink.
c. If a section of the concrete is restrained and if concrete joints are not
provided, major random cracks may develop. If these major random
cracks occur it is probably a moisture problem.
5. As concrete drying occurs, the portion of concrete near the surface will dry and
shrink faster than the inner portion of the concrete, causing the concrete surface to
develop tensile stresses and possible cracks. The shrinkage of reinforced concrete
is less than the shrinkage of plain concrete and the difference depends on the
amount of steel used. The concrete will crack if the shrinkage strain of the
concrete exceeds the limiting tensile strain of the concrete.

6. The three main problems with the moisture and the concrete are given below:-
Carbonation; concrete undergoes shrinkage due to carbonation. Carbon dioxide CO2
present in the atmosphere reacts in the presence of moisture with hydrated cement and
shrinks the concrete surface. If the entire concrete cover to steel is carbonated,
corrosion of steel could occur in the presence of moisture and oxygen.

Moisture Cycles; rapidly fluctuating humidity (up to 70% in one day) can lead to
moisture changes in the concrete as follows:-

a. If the moisture level at the reinforcing steel reaches 60% to 90% and sufficient
chlorides are present, the steel will corrode.

b. If relative humidity is maintained at 80% and the temperature surrounding the

reinforced concrete is increased, there will be a resulting increase in the rate
of rusting.

c. Moisture movements in concrete may cause concentrations of chlorides and

sulphates to occur in the concrete. Concentrations of chlorides in the
concrete will cause the reinforcing steel to corrode and will also cause
the concrete to crack and disintegrate. The first evidence of steel
corrosion may be the appearance of a brown stain on the concrete
surface.