Muhammed Basheer

Clam' Tests for Measuring in-Situ Permeation Properties of Concrete

Abstract This paper descirbes a simple test measuring the sorptivity (a measure of the absorption property if concrete) and the air and water permeability of concrete on site. Using this test, the decay of pressure is monitired for the air permeability test.whereas water penetrating into the concrete at a constant pressure of 0.01 bar and 1.5 bar are recorded for the sorptivity and the water permeability tests respectively. These tests are essentially non-destructive in nature and a skilled operator is not needed. It is possible to carry out a number of tests quickly and efficiently on site without prior planning. It has been found that statistically satisfactory results can be obtained from a mean of three tests. As the flow lines are largely concentrated within 40 mm from the surface, reasonably reliable results can be obtained by drying the surface even if the surface under test is initially wet.

Fiber optic chemical sensor systems for monitoring pH changes in concrete

Carbonation-induced corrosion of steel is one of the principal causes of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. When concrete carbonates, its pH decreases from a value in excess of 12.6 to less than 9 and, hence, a measure of the pH is an indicator of the degree of carbonation. This paper describes the development, testing and evaluation of two types of fibre optic sensors for the pH monitoring. One of these used a sol-gel based probe tip, into which an indicator dye has been introduced and the second used a disc containing an indicator operating over a narrower range of pH with shorter lifetime. Both were connected to a portable spectrometer system, which is used to monitor the spectral changes in optical absorption of the probe tip. A white light source to interrogate the active elements is used as the systems operate in the visible part of the spectrum. The two types of sensors have been found to be sensitive to the changes in pH due to carbonation, but the response time depended on the thickness of the coating material in the case of the sol-gel sensor. The durability of the sensors is still under investigation. The disc type sensor has a life span of approximately 1 month and, hence, it is not suitable for embedding in concrete for long-term monitoring of pH changes. However, it can be used for assessing the pH in vivo. The harder sol-gel is more durable and, hence, has a slower, but acceptable response time.

Retrofit versus new-build house using life-cycle assessment

This paper reports the findings of research on the environmental performance of two case-study houses, a retrofit and new build. The retrofit was completed to a Passivhaus standard while the new build was completed to current Irish building regulations. Environmental performance of the retrofit and new build was measured using life-cycle assessments, examining the assembly, operational and end-of-life stage over life spans of 50 and 80 years. Using primary information, life-cycle assessment software and life-cycle assessment databases the environmental impacts of each stage were modelled. The operational stage of both case studies was found to be the source of the most significant environmental damage, followed by the assembly and the end-of-life stage respectively. The relative importance of the assembly and end-of-life stage decreased as the life span increased. It was found that the retrofit house studied outperformed the new build in the assembly and operational stage, whereas the new build performed ...

Developments in monitoring techniques for durability assessment of cover-zone concrete

This paper outlines developments in the use of an embedded multi-electrode sensor to study the response of the cover-zone (surface 50mm) to the changing ambient environment. The sensor enables the measurement of the spatial and temporal distribution of the electrical properties of concrete and temperature within the cover-zone thereby allowing an integrated assessment of cover-zone concrete performance. Both laboratory and field results are presented to highlight the information that can be obtained from embedded sensors. When exposed to the natural environment, the temperature dependence of the electrical response is highlighted and standardization protocols are developed to account for this effect. The monitoring system detailed also allows remote interrogation thereby providing (if required) a continuous output of real-time data and developments in this area are presented.

Application Examples of Performance-Based Specification and Quality Control

This chapter presents an overview on several performance-based approaches for concrete durability specification and conformity assessment of the as-built structure.

Principles of the Performance-Based Approach for Concrete Durability

In general, design approaches for durability can be divided into prescriptive design concepts and performance-based design concepts.

Use of Two-Pressure-Head Method to Assess Water Permeability of Structural Concrete

Determining the water permeability of concrete in structures remains a conundrum because of difficulties in removing the influences of moisture. This study describes the extended flow-net theory developed on the basis of the two-pressure-head concept, which provides a means of measuring permeability under the partially saturated condition. Surface-mounted tests and standard laboratory water penetration tests were carried out to verify this approach. Before determining the water permeability, steady-state flow rates at two different pressure levels were evaluated and the effects of initial moisture conditions on flow behavior were investigated. The results indicate that the proposed approach does offer a useful means of determining the water permeability of structural concrete, although it cannot be claimed to be universally applicable for all moisture conditions likely to be encountered in practice.

Venlo application testing (Individual reports and additional data)

This chapter contains supplementary experimental data for the concrete panels of the Venlo Application Tests (AT), as well as individual reports on the analysis of test results. The individual reports were prepared by the respective participants, based on the applied test methods and service life prediction models.

Effectiveness of Vacuum Saturation Preconditioning Regime for Assessing Water Permeability of High Performance Concrete

Saturating high performance concrete (HPC) for assessing water permeability is a challenge. This paper reports a testing program established to determine the reliability and efficiency of an in situ preconditioning regime, the vacuum saturation, for the water permeability test. The vacuum saturation regime was examined through changing the parameters used and to justify if the field conditioning regime is able to yield similar results as in the laboratory, the results after vacuum saturation were statistically analysed and compared with that after incremental immersion. Its accuracy was further examined by additional experiments, whereas factors considered include different concrete mixes and different initial moisture conditions. The results suggest that the proposed method can eliminate the influence of moisture for different HPCs under the high initial moisture content. It is not effective, when the initial moisture content is low.