Frost resistance of concretes containing ground granulated blast-furnace slag

Abstract

The paper deals with the influence of addition of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) on the frost resistance of concrete. GGBS is a valuable modifier of concrete, having the latent hydraulic properties and particularly improving the chemical resistance of concrete. However, the performance of concretes with blast-furnace slag under freezing and thawing action is still not explained fully and remains a subject to discussion. The authors have investigated the concretes containing various amounts of GGBS and the portland cement CEM I, with various values of water to binder ratio, with and without the use of air-entraining admixture. The results of research show that the addition of blast-furnace slag causes some worsening of the frost resistance of concrete. The extent of this worsening depends on the water to binder ratio and the aeration of the concrete. However, even under the least favourable conditions, the concretes with GGBS addition have met the requirements of frost resistance after 200 cycles of freezing and thawing, given in the Standard PN-B-06265.