Modeling chloride penetration in saturated concrete

A mathematical model is established for chloride penetration in saturated concrete. The model takes into account various influential parameters such as water-to-cement ratio, curing time, types of cement, and aggregate content. Two material models are developed for binding capacity and chloride diffusivity, which have a dominant effect on the chloride diffusion process. The chloride binding capacity is modeled by means of the chloride adsorption isotherm. The chloride diffusivity is modeled by a composite material theory in which concrete is considered as a two-phase material with the cement paste as one phase and the aggregate as another. To take into account the effect of aggregate content, the three-phase model for diffusivity of a two-phase composite developed by Christensen is used. The diffusivity for cement paste is characterized by the Kozeny-Carman model as modified by Martys et al. The influences of temperature and chloride ion concentration are also handled in the model. The model prediction agrees quite well with available test results.