Effect of pozzolans with different physical and chemical characteristics on concrete properties

Abstract

The durability of concrete structures is an important issue nowadays. Specifically in the case of reinforced concrete bridges or other infrastructures one of the main form of environmental attack is the penetration of chloride ions, which leads to corrosion of concrete steel reinforcement. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the introduction of metakaolin and diatomite, two chemically and physically different pozzolans, on the resistance of concrete to the penetration of chlorides but also the effect on other properties of concrete, namely, its compressive strength and its porosity distribution. The results of this study show that the pozzolans physical and chemical characteristics have a strong influence on the pozzolans behavior and, consequently, on the concrete properties.