Concrete Durability

CES 428

Durability
Chapter (5)
Dr. Mohamed Kohail
Assistant Professor - Structural Department
Faculty of Engineering – Ain Shams University

m.kohail@eng.asu.edu.eg
According to ACI Committee 201,

durability of Portland cement concrete is defined as its

ability to resist weathering action, chemical attack, abrasion,
or any other process of deterioration.

In other words, a durable concrete will retain its original

form, quality, and serviceability when exposed to its intended
service environment.
1. in industrially developed countries, about 40% of the
total resources of the construction industry are being
applied to repair and maintenance of existing structures
and only 60% to new installations

2. Conservation of natural resources by making the

construction materials last longer
1. Water, which is the primary agent of both creation and
destruction of many natural materials, happens to be
central to most durability problems in concrete. In porous
solids, water is known to be the cause of many types of
physical processes of degradation. As a vehicle for
transport of aggressive ions, water can also be a source
of chemical processes of degradation.
2. The physical-chemical phenomena associated with water
transport in porous solids are controlled by the
permeability of the solid.

3. The rate of deterioration is affected by the type and the

concentration of ions present in water, and by the
chemical composition of the solid.
▪ Water molecules are very small

▪ As a solvent, water is noted for its ability to dissolve more

substances than any other known liquid

▪ Water has the highest heat of vaporization among the

common liquids

▪ with porous solids, internal moisture movements and

transformations of water are known to cause volume
changes of many types.
K is difficult to determine because of the effect of
unpredictable changes in the pore structure upon penetration
of a fluid from outside.
▪ Cement Paste. (w/c, large pores, curing, ….)
▪ Aggregate. (size, type, ….)
▪ ITZ.
▪ due to the considerable heat of vaporization needed for
the conversion of water into steam,
the temperature of concrete will not rise until all the
evaporable water has been removed.
▪ If the rate of heating is high and
the permeability of the cement
paste is low,
damage to concrete may take
place in the form of surface
spalling.
▪ @ 300°C, the interlayer C-S-H water and some of the
chemically combined water from the C-S-H and Afm
would also be lost.
▪ @ 500°C, decomposition of CH begins.
▪ @ 900°C complete decomposition of the C-S-H.
▪ Low-porosity aggregates should be free of problems
related to internal moisture movement.

▪ Siliceous aggregates containing quartz (e.g., granite and

sandstone), can cause distress in concrete at a temperature
of about 573°C, because at this temperature the
transformation of quartz from α to ß form is associated
with a sudden expansion. Carbonate rocks, a similar
distress can begin above 700°C as a result of the
decarbonation reaction.
Stress Strain Relationships of Normal Stress Strain Relationships of High
Strength Concrete Strength Concrete
[Diederichs et al. (1988)] [Diederichs et al. (1988)]
Residual Strength of Heated Stressed Dense
Aggregate Concrete after Cooling
[Concrete Society (1990)]
▪ Expansion and cracking of concrete
▪ When concrete cracks, its permeability increases and
the aggressive water penetrates more easily into the
interior, thus accelerating the process of deterioration.
▪ Progressive decrease in the strength and loss of mass
1. the amount and nature of the sulfate present,
2. the level of the water table and its seasonal variation,
3. the flow of groundwater and soil porosity,
4. the form of construction, and
5. the quality of concrete.

If the sulfate water cannot be prevented from reaching the

concrete, the only defense against sulfate attack lies in the
control of factor (5), as discussed below.