Influences of limestone powder on the resistance of concretes to the chloride ion penetration and sulfate attack

Influences of limestone powder on the resistance of concretes to the chloride ion penetration and sulfate attack with a constant water/binder ratio and a constant 28-day compressive strength were studied. The sensitivity of the properties of concrete to the initial moist curing time was also explored. The results indicate that, under a constant water/binder ratio condition, the resistance to sulfate attack of concrete deteriorates with the increasing of limestone powder content, and the resistance to chloride ion penetration decreases when the replacement ratio of limestone powder is 24%. As the initial moist curing time declines, the reducing magnitude of the properties of concrete containing limestone powder is larger than that of plain cement concrete. Nevertheless, lowering the water/binder ratio of concrete containing limestone powder can significantly reduce the sensitivity of the properties of the concrete to the initial moist curing time. No matter how long the initial moist curing time is, replacing cement with 8% limestone powder can improve the resistance of concrete to sulfate attack. Concrete with up to 24% limestone powder addition can still obtain a resistance to chloride ion penetration and sulfate attack similar to plain cement concrete on the premise of a constant 28-day compressive strength. Moreover, it was found that both the crystallization of sodium sulfate and the formation of ettringite collectively result in the deterioration of concrete subjected to the sulfate solution. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.