Evaluation of the chloride penetration and service life of self-healing concretes activated by crystalline catalyst

Abstract The main cause of concrete structures deterioration is related to the resistance against the penetration of aggressive agents. Aiming at increase the impermeability and reduce the diffusivity of concrete elements, making it less susceptible to the ingress of chloride ions, the use of crystalline catalyst emerges as a good alternative. Its mechanism of autogenous healing enhances the natural pore-filling process of concrete. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the use of crystalline catalyst on the chloride ions penetration and service life prediction of concrete. For the concrete mixtures production, it was used blast-furnace slag blended cement, three different water/cement (w/c) ratios (0.45; 0.55; 0.65), with and without crystalline catalyst, totaling six different mixtures. The concrete specimens were cured in a moist chamber and tested at 28 and 91 days. It was performed tests of compressive strength, rapid chloride permeability (ASTM C1202:12), and silver nitrate colorimetric indicator. The results show that, compared to the reference mixture, the use of crystalline catalyst conserved the compressive strength and reduced the chloride ions penetration up to 30%, increasing service life up to 34%.