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Deterioration Mechanisms of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Under Various Sulfuric Acid and Sulfate Attack Conditions

  • Research Article-Civil Engineering
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Abstract

The formulation of ultra-high-performance concrete necessitates the use of a high cement content. The alkaline nature of cement makes it susceptible to acid attacks. In addition, its high C3A content causes its vulnerability to sulfate attack under the development of expansive ettringite, where porosity plays an important role. The main objective of this study was to figure out how mass loss and dimensional instability affected the rate of reaction and its relationship to acid concentration. It is noted that in contrast to sulfuric acid attack, sulfate attack on ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is characterized by the accumulation of sulfate ions near the surface until reaching a critical concentration known as the threshold value. However, the reaction effect was not remarkable, as attributed to the extremely low porosity. The effect of curing was found to have a minimal influence on acid resistivity because it is a kind of spontaneous acid-base reaction that cannot be alleviated. In this research work, the UHPC’s service life can be predicted when exposed to different concentrations of sulfuric acid. When comparing acid and sulfate attacks, the latter becomes negligible. Despite the use of silica fume and fly ash, the reactivity with sulfuric acid was found to occur spontaneously and rely on cement content and acid concentration. A concentration of 2.5% sulfuric acid is the threshold concentration after which a substantial change in the development of strength takes place. Both reactions were monitored on different types of samples over time using several techniques, such as XRD, TGA, and DSC and optical microscopy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to Researcher Supporting Project number (RSPD2024R692), King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, 11421, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Galal Fares, Yassir M. Abbas & Mohammad Iqbal Khan

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  1. Galal Fares
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Correspondence to Mohammad Iqbal Khan.

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Fares, G., Abbas, Y.M. & Khan, M.I. Deterioration Mechanisms of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Under Various Sulfuric Acid and Sulfate Attack Conditions. Arab J Sci Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-024-09139-7

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