Investigation of mechanical and mineralogical properties of mortars subjected to sulfate

Abstract

The durability can be described as concrete's resistance to the destructive influences of a medium containing acid, sulfate and/or various chemicals and mechanical effects. The main objective of this study is investigation of mechanical and mineralogical properties of cement mortar with different pozzolanic compositions and subjected to sulfated medium. In the study, the mortars produced with cement samples having seven different compositions and varied with an air-entraining agent were subjected to the influence of sulfate. This study is supported by thin section and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) investigations, in addition to being subjected to the basic tests, such as compression and flexure. The most important findings obtained from the study are that the compact structure has more effective properties against sulfate effects for cement mortars than pozzolanic materials' effects and the highest pozzolanic material ratio is restricted about 25-30% by mass because this ratio is a boundary of mechanical properties. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.