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Numerous (inter)national standards are in place for assessing the resistance to carbonation of mortar and concrete. Within the framework of RILEM TC 281-CCC 'Carbonation of Concrete with SCMs,' an extensive interlaboratory test campaign (ILT) involving twenty-two participating laboratories worldwide was initiated to compare natural carbonation of concrete and mortar with three different cement types (Portland cement (CEM I), Portland-fly ash cement (CEM II/B-V) and blast-furnace cement (CEM III/B)) and investigate its relation to accelerated carbonation as reported in Vanoutrive et al. (Mater Struct 55:1–29, 2022). It could be concluded that ranking of cement types was analogous between accelerated and natural carbonation methods. Environmental parameters have an important effect on the carbonation rate, however, differences between the mean carbonation rates originating from indoor and sheltered outdoor natural exposure with different exposure conditions and curing regimes were insignificant for each considered cement type. This is caused by the scatter related to carbonation testing among different laboratories. Nevertheless, results showed that a natural exposure period of at least one year is essential to reach a constant carbonation rate over time. For both natural and accelerated carbonation, the carbonation rate increased by 18% when the aggregate-to-cement ratio increased by 1.79 (concrete versus mortar). This correlation seems insensitive to binder type and exposure method. Finally, the best correlation between natural and accelerated carbonation was found for EN 12390–10 (specifically natural indoor exposure) and EN 12390–12 (accelerated exposure) when only test methods performed by more than one laboratory were considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical reaction between CO2 and a blended Portland cement concrete, referred to as carbonation, can lead to reduced performance, particularly when concrete is exposed to elevated levels of CO2 (i.e., accelerated carbonation conditions). When slight changes in concrete mix designs or testing conditions are adopted, conflicting carbonation results are often reported. The RILEM TC 281-CCC 'Carbonation of Concrete with Supplementary Cementitious Materials' has conducted a critical analysis of the standardised testing methodologies that are currently applied to determine carbonation resistance of concrete in different regions. There are at least 17 different standards or recommendations being actively used for this purpose, with significant differences in sample curing, pre-conditioning, carbonation exposure conditions, and methods used for determination of carbonation depth after exposure. These differences strongly influence the carbonation depths recorded and the carbonation coefficient values calculated. Considering the importance of accurately determining carbonation potential of concrete, not just for predicting their durability performance, but also for determining the amount of CO2 that concrete can re-absorb during or after its service life, it is imperative to recognise the applicability and limitations of the results obtained from different tests. This will enable researchers and practitioners to adopt the most appropriate testing methodologies to evaluate carbonation resistance, depending on the purpose of the conclusions derived from such testing (e. g. materials selection, service life prediction, CO2 capture potential). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kurzfassung: Die Carbonatisierung von Beton kann einerseits zu Schäden bei Stahlbetonbauwerken führen, andererseits kann der Beton so CO2 speichern und damit seinen CO2‐Fußabdruck verringern. In diesem Beitrag wird dargestellt, wie eine effiziente Beschleunigung der Carbonatisierung durch Anlegen eines geringen äußeren Drucks erreicht werden kann. Damit wird neben der Diffusion der wesentlich schneller ablaufende Transportmechanismus der Permeation ausgenutzt, der das CO2 tiefer in das Probeninnere transportiert und damit in kurzer Zeit die Bestimmung des Carbonatisierungswiderstand zementgebundener Materialien ermöglicht. Hierzu wurde eine Prüfeinrichtung entwickelt, die es ermöglicht, die CO2‐Konzentration und in gewissen Grenzen auch relative Luftfeuchte sowie die Temperatur gezielt einzustellen und zu steuern, um so Mörtel‐ und Betonproben schnell und präzise zu carbonatisieren. Der Einfluss verschiedener Druckstufen und Wechselzyklen wird dargelegt und die resultierenden chemischen und physikalischen Veränderungen der Proben bestimmt. Als besonders effizient und gleichzeitig realitätsnah erwies sich die konstante CO2‐Beaufschlagung mit 3 Vol.‐% CO2 mit zusätzlichem, moderatem Gasdruck. Das hier entwickelte Verfahren kann daher genutzt werden, um Betone schnell und effizient in zeitraffenden Materialtests hinsichtlich Carbonatisierungswiderstand zu charakterisieren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kurzfassung: Eine Herausforderung performancebasierter Prüfverfahren zur Bewertung der Dauerhaftigkeit ist die Beschleunigung natürlicher Mechanismen. Dies ist notwendig, um innerhalb kurzer Zeit die Langzeit‐Leistungsfähigkeit ermitteln zu können. Die Bestimmung der Frost‐Tausalzbeständigkeit von Beton kann durch den CDF‐Test erfolgen, welcher für Betone mit ausreichendem Frost‐Tausalz‐Widerstand sehr gut funktioniert. Bei Proben mit einer unzureichenden bzw. unbekannten Performance können erhöhte Randabwitterungen auftreten, welche durch das Ablösen des seitlichen Abdichtbands entstehen. Der zunehmende Randeinfluss führt so zu einer Verfälschung der Ergebnisse und zu einer Unterschätzung der tatsächlichen Performance des Bauteils. In diesem Beitrag werden Mörtel‐ und Betonprobekörper mit unterschiedlichen Abwitterungsraten in Anlehnung an das CDF‐Verfahren untersucht. Zusätzlich wird die Oberflächenschädigung der Proben anhand einer neuartigen Messmethode mittels hochauflösendem 3D‐Laserscanning ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Randeffekte mit der Laserscan‐Methode umgangen und vergleichbare Ergebnisse zu den CDF‐Untersuchungen erzielt werden können. Somit können Betone ohne Randeinflüsse charakterisiert und eine präzise Prognose der Langzeitbeständigkeit getroffen werden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expected lifespan of cement-based materials, particularly concrete, is at least 50 years. Changes in the pore structure of the material need to be considered due to external influences and associated transport processes. The expansion behaviour of concrete and mortar during freeze–thaw attacks, combined with de-icing salt agents, is crucial for both internal and external damage. It is essential to determine and simulate the expansion behaviour of these materials in the laboratory, as well as detect the slow, long-term expansion in real structures. This study measures the expansion of mortar samples during freeze–thaw loading using a high-resolution hand-held 3D laser scanner. The specimens are prepared with fully or partially saturated pore structures through water storage or drying. During freeze–thaw experiments, the specimens are exposed to pure water or a 3% sodium chloride solution (NaCl). Results show contraction during freezing and subsequent expansion during thawing. Both test solutions exhibit similar expansion behaviour, with differences primarily due to saturation levels. Further investigations are required to explore the changing expansion behaviour caused by increasing microcracking resulting from continuous freeze–thaw cycles. A numerical analysis using a 3D coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical (HTM) model is conducted to examine the freeze–thaw behaviour of the mortar. The model accurately represents the freezing deformation during the freeze–thaw cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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With steadily rising CO2 concentrations in the ambient air and fast-changing concrete compositions with reduced clinker contents, the availability of reliable and accelerated concrete carbonation tests is of crucial importance to design durable structures. This paper focuses on the effects of moisture under accelerated conditions and the effects of different CO2 exposure conditions. Mortar prisms incorporating three different cement types were cured and stored at either 50% or 65% relative humidity (RH). Afterwards, the prisms were carbonated at different ambient humidities (50, 57 and 65%), different CO2 concentrations (0.04, 1 and 3 vol.%) and complemented by a series of tests at increased gas pressure (2 barg). High-resolution test methods were used to explain the underlying carbonation mechanisms. The results show that pre-conditioning for two weeks—as currently suggested by the European Standard—seems to be too short because the initial inner moisture content severely affects the carbonation rate. Relative humidity during carbonation of 57% led to higher carbonation rates compared to 50% and 65%. In addition, climate data needs to be periodically (preferably permanently) recorded in research experiments and in laboratory testing to ensure fair interpretation of experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Isabel Martins was missing from the RILEM membership list that was published in the original article. The original article has been corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-020-01558-w [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blended cements, where Portland cement clinker is partially replaced by supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), provide the most feasible route for reducing carbon dioxide emissions associated with concrete production. However, lowering the clinker content can lead to an increasing risk of neutralisation of the concrete pore solution and potential reinforcement corrosion due to carbonation. carbonation of concrete with SCMs differs from carbonation of concrete solely based on Portland cement (PC). This is a consequence of the differences in the hydrate phase assemblage and pore solution chemistry, as well as the pore structure and transport properties, when varying the binder composition, age and curing conditions of the concretes. The carbonation mechanism and kinetics also depend on the saturation degree of the concrete and CO2 partial pressure which in turn depends on exposure conditions (e.g. relative humidity, volume, and duration of water in contact with the concrete surface and temperature conditions). This in turn influence the microstructural changes identified upon carbonation. This literature review, prepared by members of RILEM technical committee 281-CCC carbonation of concrete with supplementary cementitious materials, working groups 1 and 2, elucidates the effect of numerous SCM characteristics, exposure environments and curing conditions on the carbonation mechanism, kinetics and structural alterations in cementitious systems containing SCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]