ACID ATTACK ON CONCRETE

What is Acid Attack?

 Concrete has alkaline nature. The components of the cement paste break
down during contact with acids.
 Most pronounced is the dissolution of calcium hydroxide according to the
following reaction:
2 HX + Ca(OH)2 = CaX2 + 2 H2O 
(X is the negative ion of the acid)
 The decomposition of the concrete depends on the
 porosity of the cement paste
 concentration of the acid
 the solubility of the acid calcium salts (CaX2)
 fluid transport through the concrete
 Nitric, Hydrochloric and Acetic acid are very aggressive as their calcium
salts are readily soluble and removed from the attack front
 Sulphuric acid is very damaging to concrete as it combines an acid attack
and a sulfate attack.
 An acid attack is diagnosed primarily by two main features:
• Absence of calcium hydroxide in the cement paste
• Surface dissolution of cement paste exposing aggregates 1
 Exposed aggregate
Calcium hydroxide
at concrete surface.
depletion of cement paste.
.

0 mm 0.5 mm 1 mm 2 mm 4 mm 8 mm

Concrete surfaces with different

depths of erosion.

2
 Corrosion of floodgate due to acidic
water (Department of Infrastructure, Corroded Steel.
Planning and Natural Resources, 2004).

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 Acid attack weakens the concrete structurally and reduces its durability and service life
 No Portland Cement is resistant to attack by acids
 The degree of attack increases with increase in acidity; attack occurs at pH value below
6.5, and a pH of less than 4.5 leads to severe attack .
Types and Sources of Acids
 Acids can come from sources external to the concrete such as
 the earth surrounding a concrete structure
 groundwater
 rainwater
 pollutants in the air
 Acidic Groundwater
• Natural waters usually have pH values ranging anywhere from 5 to 8.5.
• Sometimes the pH can be as low as 4
• Groundwater that flows over and through decaying organic matter take up CO 2
leading to decrease in pH and results in the dissolving of the paste
 Mineral Acids
• Hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, chloric (found in chlorate salts), and chromic acids
are found to be most dangerous to concrete
• Mineral acids attack calcium in the paste, causing formation of calcium salts
• If the solubility of these salts is low enough, then the salts form a protective layer on
the surface, protecting concrete from further acid attack
• Under attack by sulfuric acid, Calcium salts will form expansive products such as
ettringite and gypsum. This increases the damage caused by acid leading to cracking
and delamination due to expansion
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 Organic Acids
• Organic acids come from wastewater or decayed plant life
• These acids typically are a problem in
 grain silos and fruit storage facilities
 livestock facilities
 wastewater treatment plants
• In general, the aggressiveness of organic acids increases as the solubility of their
calcium salts into the concrete pore structure increases
 Industrial Pollutants
• Industrial acidic attack can come from chemicals not found naturally or which have
concentrations heightened from industrial activity
• CO2, SO2, NO, NO2, and NO3 from industrial output can all reach high airborne
concentrations in certain areas
• Chlorides from marine environments may also be found in the atmosphere.
• All of these compounds can combine with water to form particles that fall to earth in
the form of rain, fog, snow or dust
• Acid rain has become a major contributor to acid attack in recent years.
• Increased emissions from industry, from the internal combustion engine, and from
volcanic activity all add sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere, which later becomes
sulfuric acid

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Acid Resistance
 Portland cement concrete usually does not have good resistance to acids
 There are essentially three ways to improve concrete resistance to acids
 Choosing the right concrete composition to make it as impermeable as possible
 Isolating it from the environment by using a suitable coating
 Modifying the environment to make it less aggressive to the concrete
 Concrete is an alkaline material, with a pH above 12.5 necessary for proper strength and
protection
 pH must be kept high in order to prevent corrosion from occurring.
 An increase in the rate of flow of the attacking medium and its temperature and pressure
all increases the attack
 A low water/cement ratio increases the resistance of the concrete to acid
 Low permeability, a result of the low w/c ratio, keep the acidic solution out of the
concrete pore structure
 Fly ash and silica fume have been shown in studies to increase resistance to corrosion by
acetic, lactic, and nitric acids
 Cement paste containing fly ash contains less Ca(OH)2, than Portland cement alone
 Fly ash also results in a more homogeneous & dense cement paste
 Silica fume has a similar effect
 Alkali-activated slag (AAS) concrete has also shown to have a higher resistance to acid
attack than portland cement concrete as it contains less calcium and has a low
permeability
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 Artificial surface treatment with coal tar, rubber or bituminous paints, epoxy resins and
other agents has also been used successfully
 In General
Table 1: Acid Attack and Resistance of Concrete
Acid attack increases with
• increase in acid concentration
• constant and fast renewal of acidic
solution at the concrete/liquid interface
• higher temperatures
• higher pressure
Acid resistance increases with
• High Ca++ content in a dense
hardened cement paste (low
w/cm-ratio)
• low proportions of soluble
components in concrete
• Creation of a durable protective
layer of reaction products with low
diffusion coefficient (transport
properties)