Damage in cement pastes and mortars exposed to CaCl2 and low-temperature cycles

• Published in: Materials and structures Vol. 55; no. 3
• Main Authors: Hosseinzadeh, Nima, Montanari, Luca, Qiao, Chunyu, Suraneni, Prannoy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Building construction; Building Materials; Calcium chloride; Calcium hypochlorite; Cement paste; Civil Engineering; Concrete; Damage; Deicing salt; Engineering; Low temperature; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials Science; Mortars (material); Optical microscopy; Original Article; Processes; Slaked lime; Solid Mechanics; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Visual observation; Supplementary cementitious materials; Deicing salt; Non-destructive testing; Low-temperature; Calcium oxychloride
• ISSN: 1359-5997; 1871-6873
• DOI: 10.1617/s11527-022-01949-1

The formation of calcium oxychloride in cold conditions due to a reaction between calcium chloride deicing salt and calcium hydroxide in the concrete causes substantial damage to pavement concretes. In this study, the role of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in mitigating damage in cement pastes and mortars exposed to highly concentrated CaCl 2 solutions and low temperatures is elucidated. Cementitious paste and mortar mixtures designed with different SCM replacement levels were prepared and immersed in 25% CaCl 2 solutions and subject to low-temperature cycles (− 8–25 °C) for 360 days (180 cycles). Damage was reduced as the SCM replacement level and curing time were increased, as confirmed by bulk resistivity, visual observation, and light microscopy measurements. Substantial differences between paste and mortar behavior were observed with the mortars outperforming pastes.