Skip to main content
Log in

Simplified modelling of calcium leaching of concrete in various environments

  • Published:
Materials and Structures Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Deterioration of concrete structures subjected to aggressive water is often characterized by the leaching of calcium from hydrates. Since calcium leaching is a nonlinear phenomenon, which is influenced by a wide range of parameters, the residual service life of the structures affected by such deterioration cannot be predicted satisfactorily on the basis of experimental results alone. In order to provide more fundamental information on this phenomenon, a numerical model was developed. The model considers the thermodynamic equilibrium between the pore solution and the various hydrated phases. In addition, the deterioration mechanism is treated from a macroscopic point of view. This model has been first validated on cement paste samples leached by deionised water. Second, extension to other kinds of environment and materials was done by considering modification of the chemical equilibrium between pore solution, and solid hydrates.

Résumé

La détérioration des structures en béton sollicitées par des eaux agressives est généralement caractérisée par la lixiviation du calcium, principal constituant des hydrates du ciment. Ce phénomène étant non-linéaire et influencé par de nombreux paramètres, la durée de vie résiduelle des structures soumises à ce type de détérioration ne peut pas être déterminée sur la seule base de résultats expérimentaux. Le modèle numérique développé dans cet article permet de fournir des enseignements plus fondamentaux. Ce modèle tient compte de l'équilibre thermodynamique entre la solution interstitielle présente dans les pores de la pâte de ciment et les différents hydrates qui la constitue. De plus, le mécanisme de détérioration est décrit à l'aide d'une approche macroscopique. Ce modèle est tout d'abord validé sur la base d'échantillons de pâte de ciment lixibiée au contact de l'eau pure. Ensuite, l'extension à d'autres types de conditions environmentales et de matériaux a été effectuée en considérant une modification de l'équilibre chimique entre la solution interstitielle et les hydrates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gérard, B., ‘Contribution of the mechanical, chemical, and transport couplings in the long-term behaviour of radioactive waste repository structures’, Ph.D. Thesis, Civil Engineering Department, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada/ENS Cachan, France, 1996, (in French).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Gérard, B., Pijaudier-Cabot, G. and Le Bellego, C., ‘Mechanical stability analysis of cement-based materials submitted to calcium leaching’, in Proceedings of SMIRT 15th Conference, Seoul, Korea, 1999, 79–90.

  3. Torrenti, J.M., Didry, O., Ollivier J.-P. and Plas, F., ‘The degradation of concrete: couplings between cracking and chemical degradation’, Hermes Sciences Press, Paris, Paris, 1999, 128–130, (in French).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Le Bellego, C., ‘Chemomechanics of leached concrete structures, structural analysis and size effects’, Ph.D. Thesis, ENS Cachan, France, 2001, (in French).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Schneider, U. and Chen, S.W., ‘Behavior of high-performance concrete under ammonium nitrate solution and substained load’,ACI Materials Journal (1) (1999) 47–51.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Heukamp, F.H., Ulm, F.-J., and Germaine, J.T., ‘Mechanical properties of calcium-leached cement pastes: triaxial stress states and the influence of the pore pressure”,Cement and Concrete Research 31 (5) (2001) 767–775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Berner, U.R., ‘Evolution of pore water chemistry during degradation of cement in a radioactive waste repository environment’, Waste Management, Vol. 12 (1992) 201–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Adenot, P., ‘Durability of concrete: characterisation and modelling of physical and chemical processes of concrete degradation’, Ph.D. Thesis, Orléans University, France, 1992, 238 p., (in French).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Gérard, B., Pijaudier-Cabot, G. and Laborderie, Ch., ‘Coupled diffusion damage modelling and the implications on failure due to strain localisation’,Int. J. of Solids Struct. 35 (31–32) (1998) 4107–4120.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Tognazzi, C., ‘Cracking and leaching of cement-based materials, experimentations’, Ph. D. Thesis, INSA Toulouse, 1998, (in French).

  11. Reardon, E.J., ‘An ion interaction model for determining ion equilibrium in cement/water systems’,Cement and Concrete Research 20 (1) (1990) 175–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Berner, U.R., ‘Modelling the incrongruent dissolution of hydrated cement minerals’,Radiochinica Acta 44/45 (1998) 387–393.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Carde, C. and François, R., ‘Effect of the leaching of calcium hydroxide from cement paste on mechanical and physical properties’,Cement and Concrete Research 27 (4) (1997) 539–550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Schneider, U. and Chen, S.W., ‘The chemomechanical effect and the mechanochemical effect on high-performance concrete subjected to stress corrosion’,Cement and Concrete Research 28 (4) (1998) 509–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kamali, S., ‘Experimental investigation and modelling of the influence of admixtures on the kinetics of calcium leaching of cement-based materials’, Ph.D. Thesis, ENS Cachan, France, 2002, (in preparation in French).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Gérard, B., Didry, O., Marchand, J., Breysse, D. and Hormain, H., ‘Modelling the long-term durability of concrete for radioactive waste disposals’, in ‘Mechanisms of Chemical Degradation of Cement-Based Systems’, Edited by K.L. Scrivener and J.F. Young, E & FN SPON, London, England, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bentz, D.P. and Garboczi, E.J., ‘Modelling the leaching of calcium hydroxide from cement paste: effects on pore space percolation and diffusivity’,Mater. Struct. 25 (1992) 523–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Delagrave, A., ‘Study of ingress mechanisms of chloride ions in ordinary and high performance concretes’, Ph.D. Thesis, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada, 1996, (in French).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gérard, B., Le Bellego, C. & Bernard, O. Simplified modelling of calcium leaching of concrete in various environments. Mat. Struct. 35, 632–640 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02480356

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02480356

Keywords

Navigation