Chloride transport and microstructure of concrete with/without fly ash under atmospheric chloride condition

This paper presents a comprehensive investigation regarding the chloride transport and microstructure of plain concrete and fly ash blended concrete under atmospheric chloride environment. Experimental results demonstrate that all the free, bound, and total chlorides show a build-up of ion concentration in the chloride profile. A linear relationship between the total and free chloride content is observed. Both water-to-cement ratio and fly ash content have great impact on the chloride binding capacity and the chloride diffusion coefficient. Microscopic properties (e.g. morphology, pore size distribution, porosity) are evaluated for chloride-contaminated concrete, and their correlation with the chloride transport behavior is discussed.