Predicting the durability of Portland cement systems in aggressive environments—Laboratory validation

Portland cement systems are often exposed to severe environments, and their long-term performance is of concern. The main results of a comprehensive investigation of deterioration processes that may affect the behavior of Portland cement systems exposed to chemically aggressive environments is presented. As part of this investigation, well-cured cement paste discs were fully characterized and exposed to deionized water and sodium sulfate solutions. Degradation experiments were conducted under saturated and unsaturated conditions. At the end of the exposure period, microstructural alterations were investigated by microprobe analyses, scanning electron microscope observations and energy-dispersive X-ray analyses. Test results provide information on the basic aspects of various degradation phenomena, such as decalcification and external sulfate attack. Experimental results were also compared with results obtained by a numerical model. The analysis reveals that the intricate microstructural features of the degraded samples could be accurately reproduced by the model.