USING THE CHLORIDE PENETRATION DEPTH OBTAINED FROM RCPT TO ASSESS THE PERMEABILITY OF CONCRETE

Abstract

A review of the literature on the rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT; ASTM C1202) indicates that RCPT has a few shortcomings, namely complex anions in concrete and Joule heating. The charge passed through concrete is affected by chloride ions because of the complex anions in concrete. Moreover, Joule heating influences the experimental temperature and causes an abnormal increase in the charge passed. Engineers have focused on the advance of the critical chloride front toward steel, but the charge passed in RCPT experiments has a poor relationship with the chloride penetration depth in fly ash concrete. Thus, it is risky to use RCPT to assess the durability of fly ash concrete. In this study, we subjected ordinary Portland cement concrete and fly ash concrete to RCPT. After RCPT, the chloride profiles of the specimens were determined using a modified version of RCPT. Based on the linear relationship found between the charge passed during RCPT and the total amount of chloride obtained from the chloride profile, the chloride profile can be obtained by measuring the charge passed and the surface chloride content. In addition, the chloride penetration depth obtained from the chloride profile was used to assess the chloride permeability of concrete.