Multidimensional Transport Experiment and Simulation of Chloride Ions in Concrete Subject to Simulated Dry and Wet Cycles in a Marine Environment

Abstract

Chloride ion erosion is an important factor affecting the durability of marine engineering concrete. In particular, concrete structures in wave splash and tidal zones are subjected to dry and wet cycles and multidimensional diffusion of chloride ions. To investigate the intricate diffusion of chloride ions within concrete under these dynamic conditions, we devised a comprehensive experiment. This experiment encompasses multiple dimensions, involving dry and wet cycles, as well as static immersion. The experiment intends to reveal how chloride ions are distributed in the concrete and clarify the changes that occur in its microstructure. Based on Fick’s second law, the multidimensional diffusion model of chloride ions in concrete under the dry and wet cycles and static immersion was established by comprehensively considering the effects of chloride ion exposure time, environment temperature, relative humidity, and the action of dry and wet cycles. The results show that, under the same conditions, the chloride content in concrete decreases with the increase in penetration depth but increases with the increase in the chloride diffusion dimension and exposure time. Dry and wet cycles and multidimensional diffusion of chloride ions increase the development of cracks and pores in the concrete structure and generate large quantities of C3A·CaCl2·10H2O, which will exacerbate the chloride ion transport rate and penetration depth of concrete. Under the same exposure time and penetration depth, the chloride ion content in concrete under two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) diffusion under dry and wet cycles was 1.09~4.08 times higher than that under one-dimensional (1D) diffusion. The correlation coefficients between the simulation results of the multidimensional transport model of chloride ions in concrete under multi-factor coupling and the experimental results were all greater than 0.95, and the model can be utilized to predict the distribution of chloride ion concentration in concrete.