14-11-2014, 10:58 AM
Abstracts: • Reinforced concrete structures are exposed to harsh environments. Durability of Ordinary Portland cement is defined as its ability to resist weathering action, chemical attack , abrasion or any other process or deterioration I.e. durable concrete will retain its original form, quality and serviceability when exposed to environment • Durability of concrete may be defined as the ability of concrete to resist weathering action, chemical attack, and abrasion while maintaining its desired engineering properties. • The factors which affect the durability of concrete are Chlorides, Sulfates, Alkali-silica reaction, Seawater etc. Two POFRC mixes with two different content and length of palm oil fiber (POF) were used. Specimen PF1 contained 0.50% POF of 3 cm length while specimen PF2 contained 0.25% POF of 5 cm length. The strength and durability of both specimens were compared with a control mix, P0. The concrete specimens were cured in water for 28 days, before immersing them in 1% hydrochloric acid solution for 1800 hours. The durability of POFRC against acid attack was evaluated by the loss of weight and compressive strength. In this paper, the attack of chloride ions on specimens immersed in 3% sodium chloride solution using the colorimetric method was studied. After 7, 28 and 90 days curing, the progressive deterioration was evaluated through spraying of 0.2N silver nitrate solution on the split cylinders and by visual inspection. Microanalyses were conducted upon test termination to elucidate the damage mechanisms using FESEM and EDX analysis. In most cases, PF1, which had the highest fiber content (0.5%) did not give good results while PF2 showed good performance against deteriorations compared to the control mix, P0.