Chloride Ion Penetration in Stressed Concrete

Steel corrosion owing to chloride ion penetration is one of the most common problems related to the durability of concrete structures. Although previous studies of this phenomenon have produced useful results, they primarily focused on unstressed concrete. To study the effect of stress on the resistance of concrete to chloride ion penetration, tests of stressed specimens exposed to salt solution immersion and salt spray were performed. The chloride contents in uncracked concrete specimens with different water-cement ratios, states and levels of stress, and environmental conditions are analyzed in this article. The results show that the resistance of concrete to chloride ion penetration can be improved by reducing the water-cement ratio. The content of chloride ions is higher in concrete stressed in tension than in unstressed concrete. For concrete stressed in compression, chloride content depends on stress level. Salt solution immersion is more severe than salt spray. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000281. (C) 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.