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Concrete carbonation prediction based on air-permeability tests with moisture compensation

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Abstract

Predicting carbonation resistance via early site tests is crucial for controlling the longevity and durability of concrete structures. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a nondestructive approach for predicting carbonation resistance utilizing in situ air-permeability and surface moisture measurements. The Torrent air-permeability method, coupled with surface moisture measurements by the electrical impedance method, was applied to 25 specimens produced using different cement types, water-to-binder ratios, and curing periods to obtain test data at various ages from 1 to 18 months; the carbonation depths were measured at 6, 12 and 18 months. To overcome the challenge of the moisture effect on measured values during the drying process, the kT5 indicator, permeability coefficient at the reference moisture of 5.0% was utilized. Strong correlations between kT5 and the carbonation rates were obtained that allowed the latter's prediction from tests of air-permeability and surface moisture performed at relatively early ages (e.g., 1 or 3 months). Guidance on the procedure is outlined.

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Acknowledgements

The experiments were supported by Mr. Toshikazu Matsuyama and students, especially Mr. Daiki Yamamoto, from the Structural Engineering Laboratory of Hiroshima University. The authors are grateful for the assistance provided.

Funding

This research was financially supported by the Chugoku Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil and Environmental Engineering Program, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8527, Japan

    May Huu Nguyen & Kenichiro Nakarai

  2. Materials Advanced Services SRL, C1425 ABV, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Roberto Juan Torrent

  3. Materials Advanced Services Sagl, 6877, Coldrerio, Switzerland

    Verónica Bueno

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  1. May Huu Nguyen
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  2. Kenichiro Nakarai
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  3. Roberto Juan Torrent
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  4. Verónica Bueno
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Correspondence to Kenichiro Nakarai.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 3 shows the carbonation depth and carbonation rate of the concrete specimens used in this study.

Table 3 Carbonation depth and carbonation rate of the concrete specimens used in this study
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Appendix 2

The procedure to calculate kT5 from single and multiple (double, triple, and accumulated) measurement ages can be assessed by the following equation:

$${kT}_{5}=\sqrt[n]{{kT}_{\mathrm{5,1}}\times {kT}_{\mathrm{5,3}}\times \dots \times {kT}_{5,i}}$$
(B1)

where \({kT}_{5,i}\) is a value calculated at i-th measurement, utilizing Eqs. (2) and (3); \({kT}_{5}\) is the geometric mean value of \({kT}_{5,i}\) values; n is the total number of measurements (1 for kT5 at single age, 2 for kT5 at double ages, 3 for kT5 at triple ages, and 5 for kT5 at accumulated ages).

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Nguyen, M.H., Nakarai, K., Torrent, R.J. et al. Concrete carbonation prediction based on air-permeability tests with moisture compensation. Mater Struct 56, 3 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-022-02081-w

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