Properties of Concrete: Properties of Concrete, 5th Edition

Chapter 11. Effects of freezing and thawing and of chlorides

This chapter is concerned with two, sometimes separate and sometimes linked, mechanisms of damage to concrete. The first of these, although relevant only in cold climates, is a major cause of a lack of durability of concrete unless proper precautions are taken. The second mechanism, that is, the action of chlorides, is relevant only to reinforced concrete but it, too, can result in extensive damage of structures. The action of chlorides is encountered both in cold climates and in hot climates, but the details under the two conditions differ from one another.

Action of frost

In Chapter 8, the effects of frost on fresh concrete were considered and methods of avoiding freezing of fresh ...