Chemo-mechanical coupling behaviour of leached concrete: Part I: Experimental results

This paper deals with concrete behaviour under chemical and mechanical degradations. Experimental investigations are described where the effects of the calcium leaching process of concrete on its mechanical properties are highlighted. The calcium leaching and mechanical tests on cement paste, mortar and concrete samples are presented. Because of the slow kinetics of leaching under deionised water, an accelerated method has been chosen by using an ammonium nitrate solution instead. The specimens are immersed into a 6 mol/l ammonium nitrate solution with a controlled pH disposal. To quantify the leaching evolution, the degradation depth is then measured at certain time intervals by means of a phenolphthalein solution. The experimental results show the chemical degradation of the cement-based material and the important role of aggregate in the calcium leaching process of concrete. Compression tests of concrete samples are also performed. We observe that there is a strong coupling between the calcium leaching and the mechanical behaviour; as leaching grows, a loss of stiffness and of strength are observed and a smoother post-peak behaviour is noted.