Experimental Investigation on Chloride Diffusion Coefficient of Self-compacting Concrete in the Oman Sea

Abstract

Chloride ion penetration is an important parameter influencing the service life of a concrete structure, especially in aggressive environments. Severe chloride-induced corrosion of reinforced concretes has been reported in the southern part of Iran in the region of Oman Sea. In this paper, the effect of different environmental conditions of the Oman Sea on chloride penetration and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) and normal concrete (NC) is investigated. For this purpose, a number of prismatic specimens were exposed to various environmental conditions such as tide, submersion and atmospheric conditions. Surface chloride concentration and diffusion coefficient of SCC in these zones were calculated based on Fick’s second law, at 28, 90 and 150 days and compared with NC. Based on the values obtained in this study, relationships are proposed for concrete permeability and surface chloride of self-compacting concrete (SCC) at different ages in different aggressive environments. By determining the corrosion time based on these relations, it is observed that for a given water-to-cement ratio, the self-compacting concrete (SCC) has higher durability compared to normal concrete (NC).