Evaluation of Fiber and Blast Furnace Slag Concrete Chloride Penetration through Computer Simulation

Durability of concrete is an important issue, and one of the most critical aspects affecting durability is chloride diffusivity. Factors such as water.cement ratio, degree of hydration, volume of the aggregates and their particle size distribution have a significant effect on chloride diffusivity in concrete. The use of polypropylene fibers(particularly very fine and well dispersed micro fibers) or mineral additives has been shown to cause a reduction in concrete's permeability. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the manner in which the inclusion of fiber(in terms of volume and size) and blast furnace slag(BFS) (in terms of volume replacement of cement) influence the chloride diffusivity in concrete by applying 3D computer modeling for the composite structure and performing a simulation of the chloride penetration. The modeled parameters, i.e. chloride diffusivity in concrete, are compared to the experimental data obtained in a parallel chloride migration test experiment with the same concrete mixtures. A good agreement of the same order is found between multi.scale microstructure model, and through this chloride diffusivity in concrete was predicted with results similar to those experimentally measured.