@inproceedings{ThielGehlen, author = {Thiel, Charlotte and Gehlen, Christoph}, title = {On the determination of carbonation in cementitious materials}, series = {Challenges in Design and Management of Structures. Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Materials Systems and Structures (SMSS2019) Durability, Monitoring and Repair of Structures, 18.-22.03.2019, Rovinja, Croatio}, booktitle = {Challenges in Design and Management of Structures. Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Materials Systems and Structures (SMSS2019) Durability, Monitoring and Repair of Structures, 18.-22.03.2019, Rovinja, Croatio}, publisher = {RILEM}, isbn = {978-2-35158-217-6}, pages = {373 -- 380}, abstract = {For material testing, qualification and subsequent assessment fast, simple, reliable and economic methods are needed. This paper provides an overview of different techniques to determine the depth of carbonation in cementitious materials. The easiest and cheapest way is to remove a core or a fragment of concrete cover and spray a colour indicator on the fresh fractured surface (by splitting). Here, 1 \% phenolphthalein in 70 \% ethanol is most widely used. However, this only indicates in which area the concrete has a pH value below 8.2-10, but not the actual carbonation front which is on average about 20 \% higher. Since phenolphthalein is carcinogenic, alternative colour indicators were investigated in the laboratory. 0.5 \% Curcumin showed similar colour change to phenolphthalein. In addition, 0.1 \% thymolphthalein proved to be an alternative. Scattering within one measurement was lower than for phenolphthalein and the results were closer to the carbonation depths determined by different analytical methods (TGA and LA-ICP-MS). Furthermore, the transition pH-value of thymolphthalein is in the area of 9.3-10.5 which is closer to the actual carbonation front, allowing a more accurate assessment of the risk of reinforcement corrosion.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{ThielHolmeErlacheretal., author = {Thiel, Charlotte and Holme, L. and Erlacher, L. and Gehlen, Christoph}, title = {Effect of real climatic conditions on freeze-thaw induced damage of concrete}, series = {Durable Concrete for Infrastructure under Severe Conditions : Smart admixtures, self-responsiveness and nano-additions, Proceedings 10-11 September 2019, Ghent, Belgium}, booktitle = {Durable Concrete for Infrastructure under Severe Conditions : Smart admixtures, self-responsiveness and nano-additions, Proceedings 10-11 September 2019, Ghent, Belgium}, editor = {Adelaide Ara{\´u}jo, Maria and Van Tittelboom, Kim}, isbn = {978-9-463-88638-3}, abstract = {The analysis of German weather data from 1996 to 2019 reveals a development in climate towards freeze-thaw exposure conditions which are detrimental to concrete durability. This trend may intensify freeze-thaw attack in future and lead to more internal and/or external damage in concrete structures. This contribution considers the inclusion of real climate conditions in laboratory simulations. Weather data were recorded and compared with depth-resolved measurements of humidity and temperature in concrete samples stored at the median site of an expressway. The strength of attack depends mainly on the amount of damaging freeze-thaw cycles (minimum temperature <-5°C in combination with moisture). In addition, the salt content of the contact water, minimum temperature and thickness of the ice layer on the concrete surface are decisive. Experiments show that internal and to a minor degree also external damage increase due to lower heating rates. The exposure of the sample itself (i.e. compass direction and removal of snow) affects the resulting damage evolution significantly. In order to save resources and enable the production of more sustainable concrete structures, current accelerated tests need to be adapted to real climatic conditions. 1. Introduction Adaptation to climate change and the associated extreme weather events represents a crucial challenge for our society. The durability of concrete, the most frequently used building material, is highly dependent on the local environment of concrete structures. In the case of a freeze-thaw de-icing salt attack, this is given by essentially the number of frost-thaw cycles (FTC) relevant to damage, the minimum temperature, the thickness of the ice layer, the moisture conditions and the concentration of salt. By investigating the interdependencies, the depth of scaling of the concrete surface per winter period can be predicted as a function of parameters accounting for the different effects of the concrete composition (air content, w/b ratio and binder type), curing time, carbonation and the duration and formation of damaging freeze-thaw cycles, [1, 2]. In order to quantify the individual effects and map them in an engineering model, a large number of laboratory tests are necessary. For this purpose, a known freeze-thaw cycle usually has to be modified. While it is already known that the cooling rate [3] and holding time at minimum temperature [4] affect scaling development, we investigated the effect of different heating rates on scaling on freeze-thaw de-icing salt attack.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{GehlenThiel, author = {Gehlen, Christoph and Thiel, Charlotte}, title = {Specification of building materials for in service durability}, series = {Proceedings ICSBM 2019: 2nd international conference of sustainable building materials, 2019, Eindhoven}, booktitle = {Proceedings ICSBM 2019: 2nd international conference of sustainable building materials, 2019, Eindhoven}, publisher = {Technische Universiteit Eindhoven}, address = {Eindhoven}, isbn = {978-90-386-4898-9}, pages = {31 -- 40}, abstract = {To assess whether a structural element made of a given building material can withstand the expected mechanical load and environmental exposure in service, designers need information on the material resistances and loads as well as the local conditions. The durability of a building material in the structure can only be assessed if these factors are taken into account. Usually, the material resistances are obtained from laboratory tests. However, the performance of materials under standardized laboratory conditions differs from those occurring in the field. This paper considers this assessment problem and develops a solution strategy based on carbonation-induced corrosion as an example.}, language = {en} }