Abstract
Rapid degradation of reinforced concrete (RC) has become a serious concern due to its reduction of life span and high unexpected maintenance cost. Chloride penetration and subsequent corrosion are the primary causes of such concrete deterioration. This study investigated the effects of polypropylene fibers, metakaolin and silica fume on chloride diffusion and migration resistance of concrete at different exposure temperatures. Eight concrete mixes were prepared using a water/binder ratio of 0.38, cement replacement of 0, 5, 10, and 15 % by either silica fume (SF) or metakaolin (MK) with zero or 0.6 kg/m(3) polypropylene fibers (PPFs). Furthermore, concrete resistance to chloride diffusion at four different exposure temperatures (23, 38, 53 and 68 ?) and chloride migration at 23 ? was evaluated. The results showed that both pozzolanic admixtures, SF and MK, significantly reduced apparent chloride diffusion coefficient (D-a) and chloride migration coefficient (D-nssm). However, PPFs concretes incorporating MK showed inferior chloride diffusion than those containing SF. D-a for PPFs concretes incorporating SF and MK were 1.4-7.3 and 1.2-3.9 times less than Type I cement concrete, respectively. While D-nssm for PPFs concretes incorporating SF and MK were 1.7-6.3 and 1.5-3.2 times less than Type I cement concrete, respectively. The results also showed that the effect of 15 % MK on D-nssm and D-a was almost similar to that of 10 % SF. The D-a increased slightly at exposure temperatures of 23 and 38 ?. However, at higher exposure temperatures of 53 and 68 ?, a significant increase in D-a was noted. Eight models were developed using regression analysis and were validated by comparing the predicted apparent chloride diffusion coefficient values with the measured ones. The validation of the developed models showed that the predicted D-a values were within +/- 7 % error margin. The developed chloride diffusion models in the current study allow us to predict and quantify the long life of future realizations of RC structures in marine hot environments.