Study on the Freeze-Thaw Resistance of Concrete Pavements in Seasonally Frozen Regions

Abstract

In seasonally frozen regions, concrete pavement is exposed to cycles of freeze-thaw and erosion from de-icing salt, which can lead to unfavorable service conditions and vulnerability to damage. This paper examines the compressive strength, flexural-tensile strength, abrasion resistance, permeability, and spacing factor of concrete, taking into account the impact of various curing conditions, de-icing salt solutions, and mass fractions on the concrete’s freeze-thaw resistance. Two test methods, the single-face method and the fast-freezing method, were used to comparatively analyze the freeze-thaw resistance of concrete. The analysis was based on the surface scaling, water absorption rate, mass loss rate, relative dynamic elastic modulus, and relative durability index. The results indicate that the presence of salt solution significantly worsened the degree of concrete damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles. The use of freeze-thaw media, specifically sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), and potassium acetate (KAc) at mass fractions of 5%, 4.74%, and 5%, respectively, had the greatest impact on the surface scaling of concrete. However, their effect on the water absorption rate was inconsistent. When the freeze-thaw medium was water, the concrete’s relative dynamic elastic modulus and relative durability index were 9.6% and 75.3% higher, respectively, for concrete cured in 20 °C—95% RH conditions compared to those cured in 0 °C—50% RH conditions. We propose a comprehensive relative durability index (DFw) by combining the results of two methods of freeze-thaw tests. The DFw of concrete cured in 0 °C—50% RH conditions was 83.8% lower than that of concrete cured in 20 °C—95% RH conditions when exposed to a freeze-thaw medium of 5% mass fraction NaCl solution. To evaluate the salt freeze-thaw resistance of concrete pavement, it is recommended to use surface scaling and DFw together.