Transport Properties of Concrete Subjected to Deicing Salts' Cyclic Exposure.

Deicing chemical solutions can profoundly affect concrete's physical and chemical properties. It is a known fact that salt solutions are highly conductive in comparison with pure water and are expected to alter concrete's electrical resistivity as well as other transport properties. In this study, the influence of NaCl, CaCl₂, and MgCl₂ on transport properties of cementitious materials was investigated. The first part of the project evaluated the continuous exposure for 1 year, while the second part evaluated the wetting-drying cyclic exposure for 6 months (27 cycles). This paper presents the results of the cyclic exposure. Results obtained with standard testing methodologies can be misleading and should be interpreted with caution because transport properties were influenced by different factors, especially the exposure history. In addition, each salt affected each individual transport property differently. Cyclic exposed samples presented similar results as those subjected to 1 year of continuous exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]