Penetration of chlorides in hardened concrete during frost salt scaling cycles

Abstract

Sixty samples from three concrete mixes (same components) were prepared and subjected to frost salt scaling cycles. A set of 20 samples from the same mix was tested according to the French standard XP P18-420. Another set was exposed to different chloride concentrations. Different numbers of freeze/thaw cycles were applied to the last set. The mass of scaled-off particles follows a lognormal distribution. Despite high standard deviation, this scaling test enables to separate high resistant from very low resistant concrete. A combined analysis reveals that the scaling and the chloride penetration front are independent from a phenomenological point of view and that the chloride concentration on the exposed surface directly influences the amount of scaled mass according to the typical pessimum effect. These results raise two main questions: is the amount of chloride on the surface solution a direct or indirect parameter and what happens to this pessimum effect if we take into account the scaling test dispersion?