Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical approach for concrete carbonation considering moisture diffusion

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Materials and Structures Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Carbonation is a common type of concrete deterioration, which can cause various physicochemical changes that adversely affect the performance of reinforced concrete structures. The reinforced concrete structures can be considerably damaged by the reinforcement corrosion caused by the neutralization of concrete under carbonation. This study introduces a numerical analysis approach to examine concrete carbonation with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), which decreases the alkalinity of concrete. Carbonation analysis is performed by considering the diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and moisture, which play influential roles in the carbonation reaction. A detailed formulation process is established to apply the theoretical equations to the numerical analysis by considering the mentioned influential factors. Further, appropriate modification factors are applied to the numerical analysis under various environmental conditions. The proposed numerical analysis is verified by comparing the carbonation front depths with those obtained from the experimental results via thermogravimetric analysis. Furthermore, a carbonation experiment is conducted using a phenolphthalein solution, and the results are compared with those of the numerical analysis. The experimental carbonation front depth obtained using a phenolphthalein solution is half of that obtained using numerical analysis, which is consistent with the result obtained by other researchers in previous studies. These observations indicate that the proposed numerical analysis considering CO2 and moisture diffusion sufficiently simulates concrete carbonation.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ho LS, Nakarai K, Ogawa Y, Sasaki T, Morioka M (2018) Effect of internal water content on carbonation progress in cement-treated sand and effect of carbonation on compressive strength. Cem Concr Compos 85:9–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Marangu JM, Thiong’o JK, Wachira JM (2019). Review of carbonation resistance in hydrated cement based materials. J Chem

  3. Chang H (2017) Chloride binding capacity of pastes influenced by carbonation under three conditions. Cem Concr Compos 84:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. PCA R (2002) Types and causes of concrete deterioration

  5. Ashraf W (2016) Carbonation of cement-based materials: challenges and opportunities. Constr Build Mater 120:558–570

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Leemann A, Moro F (2017) Carbonation of concrete: the role of CO2 concentration, relative humidity and CO2 buffer capacity. Mater Struct 50(1):30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ekolu SO (2018) Model for practical prediction of natural carbonation in reinforced concrete: part 1-formulation. Cem Concr Compos 86:40–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Silva A, Neves R, De Brito J (2014) Statistical modelling of carbonation in reinforced concrete. Cem Concr Compos 50:73–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Talukdar S, Banthia N, Grace JR (2012) Carbonation in concrete infrastructure in the context of global climate change–part 1: experimental results and model development. Cem Concr Compos 34(8):924–930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zha X, Yu M, Ye J, Feng G (2015) Numerical modeling of supercritical carbonation process in cement-based materials. Cem Concr Res 72:10–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bao H, Xu G, Wang Q, Peng Y, Liu J (2020) Study on the deterioration mechanism of cement-based materials in acid water containing aggressive carbon dioxide. Constr Build Mater 243:118233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Shen XH, Jiang WQ, Hou D, Hu Z, Yang J, Liu QF (2019) Numerical study of carbonation and its effect on chloride binding in concrete. Cem Concr Compos 104:103402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Shen XH, Liu QF, Hu Z, Jiang WQ, Lin X, Hou D, Hao P (2019) Combine ingress of chloride and carbonation in marine-exposed concrete under unsaturated environment: a numerical study. Ocean Eng 189:106350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhu X, Zi G, Lee W, Kim S, Kong J (2016) Probabilistic analysis of reinforcement corrosion due to the combined action of carbonation and chloride ingress in concrete. Constr Build Mater 124:667–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Matschei T, Glasser FP (2010) Temperature dependence, 0–40 °C, of the mineralogy of Portland cement paste in the presence of calcium carbonate. Cem Concr Res 40(5):763–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dutzer V, Dridi W, Poyet S, Le Bescop P, Bourbon X (2019) The link between gas diffusion and carbonation in hardened cement pastes. Cem Concr Res 123:105795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Papadakis VG, Vayenas CG, Fardis MN (1991) Fundamental modeling and experimental investigation of concrete carbonation. Mater J 88(4):363–373

    Google Scholar 

  18. Saetta AV, Vitaliani RV (2004) Experimental investigation and numerical modeling of carbonation process in reinforced concrete structures: part I: theoretical formulation. Cem Concr Res 34(4):571–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Xi Y, Bažant ZP, Jennings HM (1994) Moisture diffusion in cementitious materials adsorption isotherms. Adv Cem Based Mater 1(6):248–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Yi ST, Pae SW, Kim JK (2011) Minimum curing time prediction of early-age concrete to prevent frost damage. Constr Build Mater 25(3):1439–1449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhang Z, Thiery M, Baroghel-Bouny V (2016) Investigation of moisture transport properties of cementitious materials. Cem Concr Res 89:257–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Fib-International Federation for Structural Concrete (2013) fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010. Ernst & Sohn

  23. Mihashi H, Numao T (1989) Influence of curing condition on diffusion process of concrete at elevated temperatures. Proc Jpn Concr Inst 11(1):229–234

    Google Scholar 

  24. Shen Q, Pan G, Bao B (2016) Influence of CSH carbonation on the porosity of cement paste. Mag Concr Res 68(10):504–514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Drouet E, Poyet S, Le Bescop P, Torrenti JM, Bourbon X (2019) Carbonation of hardened cement pastes: influence of temperature. Cem Concr Res 115:445–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Li G, Yuan Y, Du J, Ji Y (2013) Determination of the apparent activation energy of concrete carbonation. J Wuhan Univ Technol Mater Sci Ed 28(5):944–949

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Sakata K (1983) A study on moisture diffusion in drying and drying shrinkage of concrete. Cem Concr Res 13(2):216–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Chang CF, Chen JW (2006) The experimental investigation of concrete carbonation depth. Cem Concr Res 36(9):1760–1767

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korean Government (Ministry of Science and ICT) (No. 2017R1A5A1014883).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    Ju-young Hwang, Hyo-Gyoung Kwak & Minsuk Shim

Authors
  1. Ju-young Hwang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hyo-Gyoung Kwak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Minsuk Shim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hyo-Gyoung Kwak.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hwang, Jy., Kwak, HG. & Shim, M. Numerical approach for concrete carbonation considering moisture diffusion. Mater Struct 53, 116 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-020-01550-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-020-01550-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation