The influence of type of cement on the degradation of microstructure and transport properties of cement mortars exposed to frost induced damage

Department of Building Physics and Building Materials, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Lodz, Al. Politechniki 6, Poland

^* Corresponding author: alicja.marciniak@p.lodz.pl

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to understand how the cyclic water freezing (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 freeze-thaw cycles) impacts microstructure and transport properties of cement-based materials. Tests were conducted on cement mortars with different water/cement ratios (w/c=0.45 and 0.40) and on two types of cement (CEM I and CEM III) without air-entraining admixtures. The changes of pore size distribution and open porosity were investigated by means of mercury intrusion porosimetry. Additionally, the relationship between intrinsic permeability and the water absorption coefficient of cement mortar samples was analysed. The water absorption coefficient and gas permeability were determined using capillary absorption test and the modified RILEMCembureau method. The evolution of transport coefficients with growing number of freeze-thaw cycles were determined on the same sample. It was also established that change of pore structure (a decrease of small pore volume <100nm and increase of larger pores >100nm) induces an increase of water transport parameters such as permeability and water absorption coefficient. The higher gas permeability corresponds to the higher internal damage. In particular, it is associated with the change of cement mortar microstructure, which indicates damage of narrow channels in the pore structure of cement mortars.