Abrasion Resistance and Scaling Resistance of Concrete Containing Fly Ash

The durability of concrete containing fly ash subjected to various curing conditions was investigated in this research program. One Type A and two Type B fly ashes were used at 0, 25, and 35 percent replacement of cement by volume. Test specimens were cured at 50, 73, and 100°F and 50 and 100 percent relative humidity. The two durability tests performed were the abrasion resistance test and the resistance to deicing scaling test.

The abrasion test was performed at 14 days test age according to ASTM C944. Depth of penetration was used to evaluate the abrasion resistance of concrete. The scaling resistance test was performed at 28 days test age according to ASTM C672. The deicing scaling damage was assessed by visual inspection at various stages during the test. At the completion of the scaling test, the chloride concentration of the concrete was determined at various depths from the exposed concrete surface.

The test results show that strength is the most important factor influencing the abrasion resistance of concrete. The curing practices were found to influence the abrasion resistance of the concrete in that they affected the concrete strength.

No relationship could be established between the deicer scaling resistance of concrete and the water cementitious ratio, the compressive strength, or the curing practices. Moist-cured plain concrete, however, was found to be, in most cases, the most resistant to deicer scaling. The chloride penetration test results revealed that moist-cured concrete is much more resistant to chloride penetration than similar air-dried concrete.