Experimental Deterioration of Highway Concrete by Chloride Deicing Salts

Research Article| January 01, 1996 Experimental Deterioration of Highway Concrete by Chloride Deicing Salts ROBERT D. CODY; ROBERT D. CODY Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, 253 Science I, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar ANITA M. CODY; ANITA M. CODY Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, 253 Science I, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar PAUL G. SPRY; PAUL G. SPRY Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, 253 Science I, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GUO-LIANG GAN GUO-LIANG GAN Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, 253 Science I, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3210 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (1996) II (4): 575–588. https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.II.4.575 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation ROBERT D. CODY, ANITA M. CODY, PAUL G. SPRY, GUO-LIANG GAN; Experimental Deterioration of Highway Concrete by Chloride Deicing Salts. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 1996;; II (4): 575–588. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.II.4.575 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract Experiments were performed on five Iowa highway concretes to determine their resistance to deterioration by chloride deicer salts. These concretes, all of which contain dolomite coarse aggregate, are of two types: those with highway service life >40 years and those with service life ≤15 years. Four-inch cores were obtained from the highways, and small blocks cut from the cores were experimentally subjected to wet/dry, freeze/thaw, and continuous soak conditions in 3M and 0.75M solutions of magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium chloride and in distilled water to determine the relative deterioration activities of the deicer salts. A few experiments were also performed with magnesium acetate and magnesium nitrate. Deterioration of the highway concretes resulted in a) crumbling and b) fracturing. Crumbling was often accompanied by brown discoloration. Severity and type of deterioration depended chiefly on deicer cation and experimental conditions, with only minor dependence on highway service record. Magnesium chloride was most destructive. Calcium chloride was next, and sodium chloride was relatively benign except under freeze/thaw cycling in 0.75M NaCl, and high temperature wet/dry cycling. Less durable concrete was slightly more affected by distilled water freeze/thaw conditions than more durable material. Magnesium acetate produced severe crumbling and moderate fracturing, and magnesium nitrate caused moderate deterioration by crumbling. The major cause of deterioration by magnesium chloride was formation of non-cementitious magnesium silicate hydrates. Growth of brucite also contributed to damage. Deterioration by calcium chloride probably was due to development of calcium chloroaluminate, and to pore-filling with complex salts produced by reactions between CaCl2, Ca(OH)2 derived from cement, and CO2 derived from the atmosphere or from dissolution of limestone/dolomite aggregate. These results suggest that although rock salt applications may produce deterioration in existing highways, magnesium and calcium chloride deicers may result in considerably greater highway concrete deterioration. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.