Mechanical strength and durability of mineral admixture concrete subjected to accelerated carbonation

Abstract

Based on the experimental evaluation of blended cement concretes, its vulnerability to the potential carbonation threats have been discussed in this paper. Water binder ratios of 0.35, 0.50, and 0.65 have been adopted to study the mechanical properties and durability of the concrete mixes exposed to accelerated carbonation. Equations to predict the depth of carbonation under controlled conditions for these mixes have been established. The reliability of square root t law of diffusion to address the ingress of carbon dioxide into concrete has also been studied. Furthermore, conclusions have been drawn that the addition of fly ash and blast furnace slag as a partial replacement of cement decreased the carbonation resistance of concrete unless a water binder ratio of 0.35 is used, in which case the depth of carbonation remained almost same.