A Numerical Study on Chloride Diffusion in Cracked Concrete

The cracks in concrete are a fast transport path for chlorides and influence the service life of concrete structures in chloride environments. This study aimed to reveal the effect of crack geometry on chloride diffusion in cracked concrete. The chloride diffusion process in cracked concrete was sim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Crystals (Basel) 2021-07, Vol.11 (7), p.742
Main Authors: Wang, Qiannan, Zhang, Guoshuai, Tong, Yunyun, Gu, Chunping
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chloride
Chlorides
Concrete
Concrete structures
crack depth
Crack geometry
crack width
cracked concrete
Cracks
Diffusion rate
Diffusivity
Finite difference method
Geometry
Influence
Numerical analysis
numerical simulation
Penetration depth
Service life
Simulation
Submerging
tortuosity
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Summary:The cracks in concrete are a fast transport path for chlorides and influence the service life of concrete structures in chloride environments. This study aimed to reveal the effect of crack geometry on chloride diffusion in cracked concrete. The chloride diffusion process in cracked concrete was simulated with the finite difference method by solving Fick’s law. The results showed that the apparent chloride diffusivity was lower in more tortuous cracks, and the cracks with more narrow points also showed lower apparent chloride diffusivity. For tortuous cracks, a higher crack width meant relatively more straight cracks, and consequently, higher apparent chloride diffusivity, while a lower crack width resulted in more tortuous cracks and lower apparent chloride diffusivity. The crack depth showed a more significant influence on the chloride penetration depth in cracked concrete than crack geometry did. Compared with rectangular and V-shaped cracks, the chloride diffusion process in cracked concrete with a tortuous crack was slower at the early immersion age. At the same crack depth, the crack geometry showed a marginal influence on the chloride penetration depth in cracked concrete during long-term immersion.
ISSN:2073-4352
2073-4352
DOI:10.3390/cryst11070742