SEM Image-based Porosity Analysis of Fire Damaged High Strength Concrete

Authors

  • Diana A. Andrushia
    Affiliation
    Department of ECE, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Karunya Nagar, 641114, Coimbatore, India
  • N. Anand
    Affiliation
    Department of Civil Engineering, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Karunya Nagar, 641114, India
  • Éva Lublóy
    Affiliation
    Department of Construction Materials and Technologies, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 1–3, Budapest, 1111, Hungary
  • M. Z. Naser
    Affiliation
    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, Clemson, SC 29634, United States
  • Balamurali Kanagaraj
    Affiliation
    Department of Civil Engineering, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Karunya Nagar, 641114, India
https://doi.org/10.3311/PPci.22917

Abstract

The porosity of concrete affects the durability of reinforced concrete structures, wherein high levels of porosity are linked to a shorter service life. Recent works have noted that high porosity levels naturally exist in the aftermath of a fire exposure – especially when concrete is classified as high strength concrete (HSC). To shed more light into this phenomenon, this paper showcases a method for measuring the porosity of HSC under elevated temperatures through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In this method, SEM-based images were examined to quantify the surface porosity of fire-affected HSC. Detailed image analysis was performed for HSC exposed to various heating durations. The study concludes that the surface porosity obtained via the SEM processing method is in good agreement with that from the SEM-based method (with a minor average difference of 3.8%). As such, the proposed method is expected to be reliable for the porosity analysis of fire-damaged concrete.

Keywords:

SEM, image analysis, elevated temperature, porosity, high strength concrete

Citation data from Crossref and Scopus

Published Online

2024-01-12

How to Cite

Andrushia, D. A., Anand, N., Lublóy, É., Naser , M. Z., Kanagaraj, B. “SEM Image-based Porosity Analysis of Fire Damaged High Strength Concrete”, Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering, 68(2), pp. 559–570, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3311/PPci.22917

Issue

Section

Research Article