Performance of concrete in a coastal environment

This paper reports the results of a study conducted to evaluate the performance of concrete exposed to below ground conditions in a coastal area. The concrete specimens were prepared with varying water/cement ratio, cement content, and polymer/epoxy additions and varying consolidation efforts prior to exposure to below ground conditions in a coastal area for more than four years. The performance of the concrete specimens exposed to the highly concentrated chloride and sulfate environment was evaluated by measuring the chloride diffusion and reduction in compressive strength due to sulfate attack. Results indicated that the mix design parameters, such as water/cement ratio and cement content, significantly affected both the chloride diffusion and the sulfate-resistance of concrete. Similarly, the level of consolidation and the period of curing influenced the performance of concrete in the aggressive environment. Further, the performance of latex and epoxy modified concrete was better than that of polymer concrete.