One and two dimensional chloride ion diffusion of fly ash concrete under flexural stress

A preloading frame is firstly designed to accurately apply external flexural stress to concrete specimens. Then a method is developed to measure one and two dimensional (1D and 2D) chloride ion concentrations at different distances from the surface of concrete under flexural stress. Using this method and the preloading frame, 1D and 2D stress-diffusion is systematically investigated for fly ash concretes made with different fly ash contents (0%, 10%, 20%, 40%, and 60%), and water to binder ratios (0.3, 0.35, and 0.4). The stress accelerating effect on 1D and 2D chloride ion diffusion is also quantitatively analyzed through a comparison between stress-diffusion and nonstress-diffusion. A diffusion accelerating effect caused by external flexural stress can clearly be observed through the comparison. In order to quantify the stress accelerating effect, a stress accelerating factor is proposed in this paper. The relationship between stress accelerating factor and external stress-to-ultimate stress ratio is given as an exponential function. Finally, the process of the initiation, prorogation, and distribution of microcracks on the tensile face of specimen is observed in-situ by using a small-sized loading frame and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The above research provides an insight into chloride attack on the edge reinforcing bars of concrete structures under flexural stress, such as large-span beam and board in the field of civil engineering.