The present study suggested a mass change prediction model for sulfate attack of concrete containing mineral admixtures through an immersion test in sulfate solutions. For this, 100% OPC as well as binary and ternary blended cement concrete specimens were manufactured by changing the types and amount of mineral admixture. The concrete specimens were immersed in fresh water, 10% sodium sulfate solution, and 10% magnesium sulfate solution, respectively, and mass change of the specimens was measured at 28, 56, 91, 182, and 365 days. The experimental results indicated that resistance of concrete containing mineral admixture against sodium sulfate attack was far greater than that of 100% OPC concrete. However, in terms of resistance against magnesium sulfate attack, concrete containing mineral admixture was lower than 100% OPC concrete due to the formation of magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H), the noncementitious material. Ultimately, based on the experimental results, a mass change prediction model was suggested and it was found that the prediction values using the model corresponded relatively well with the experimental results.

The diffusion coefficient for chloride ions and the diffusion decay coefficient for chloride ions are essential variables for a service life evaluation of concrete structures. They are influenced by water-binder ratio, exposure condition, curing temperature, cement type, and the type and use of mineral admixture. Mineral admixtures such as ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, and silica fume have been increasingly used to improve resistance against chloride ions penetration in concrete structures built in an offshore environment. However, there is not enough measured data to identify the statistical properties of diffusion decay coefficient for chloride ions in concrete using mineral admixtures. This paper is aimed at evaluating the diffusion decay coefficient for chloride ions of concrete using ordinary Portland cement or blended cement. NT BUILD 492 method, an electrophoresis experiment, was used to measure the diffusion coefficient for chloride ions with ages. It was revealed from the test results that the diffusion decay coefficient for chloride ions was significantly influenced by W/B and the replacement ratio of mineral admixtures.

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It has been well known that concrete structures exposed to acid and sulfate environments such as sewer, sewage and wastewater, soil, groundwater, and seawater etc. show significant decrease in their durability due to chemical attack. Such deleterious acid and sulfate attacks lead to expansion and cracking in concrete, and thus, eventually result in damage to concrete matrix by forming expansive hydration products due to the reaction between portland cement hydration products and acid and sulfate ions. Objectives of this experimental research are to investigate the effect of mineral admixtures on the resistance to acid and sulfate attack in concrete and to suggest high-resistance concrete mix against acid and sulfate attack. For this purpose, concretes specimens with three types of cement (ordinary portland cement (OPC), binary blended cement (BBC), and ternary blended cement (TBC) composed of different types and proportions of admixtures) were prepared at water-biner ratios of 32% and 43%. The concrete specimens were immersed in fresh water, 5% sulfuric acid, 10% sodium sulfate, and 10% magnesium sulfate solutions for 28, 56, 91, 182, and 365 days, respectively. To evaluate the resistance to acid and sulfate for concrete specimens, visual appearance changes were observed and compressive strength ratios and mass change ratios were measured. It was observed from the test results that the resistance against sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate solutions of the concretes containing mineral admixtures were much better than that of OPC concrete, but in the case of magnesium sulfate solution the concretes containing mineral admixtures was less resistant than OPC concrete due to formation of magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H) which is non-cementitious.

Sedimentary rocks dug up in construction fields are mostly stockpiled for landfill disposal, leading to an increase in construction costs and construction inefficiency. After screening, some of the sandstone can be used as aggregate; however, most of the shale ends up as industrial waste in practice. In this study, to stabilize the demand and develop resources for alternative aggregates of concrete, the potential use of shale, which is widely distributed in the Daegu-Kyeongbuk region, as a concrete aggregate was evaluated. Red and black shale exported from a Daegu excavation site was selected for use in the experiments and evaluated by comparing with hornfels, which is widely used as a coarse aggregate and is a type of andesite and metamorphosed sedimentary rock. The physical properties of the aggregate were evaluated in accordance with the test methods of KS F 2527 "crushed concrete aggregate," and the compressive strength against the shale aggregate replacement ratio was measured. The compressive strength of the concrete after 28 days was 30.8 MPa when the black shale replaced 100% of the aggregate in the concrete and 31.1 MPa when the red shale replaced 100% of the aggregate in the concrete. Compared with the compressive strength of 37.5 MPa for concrete prepared by using plain aggregate, using shale as a substitute for the aggregate produced an average compressive strength that was 82% of normal concrete.