Effect of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) on the freeze–thaw resistance of concrete: results of a RILEM interlaboratory study

• Published in: Materials and structures Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 1 - 19
• Main Authors: Mechtcherine, Viktor, Schröfl, Christof, Wyrzykowski, Mateusz, Gorges, Michaela, Lura, Pietro, Cusson, Daniel, Margeson, Jim, De Belie, Nele, Snoeck, Didier, Ichimiya, Kazuo, Igarashi, Shin-Ichi, Falikman, Vyacheslav, Friedrich, Stefan, Bokern, Jürgen, Kara, Patricia, Marciniak, Alicja, Reinhardt, Hans-Wolf, Sippel, Sören, Bettencourt Ribeiro, António, Custódio, João, Ye, Guang, Dong, Hua, Weiss, Jason
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.02.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air-entraining agent; Building construction; Building Materials; CDF test; CIF test; Civil Engineering; Concretes; Deicing salt; Dynamic modulus of elasticity; Engineering; Freeze thaw cycles; Freeze-thaw durability; Freeze–thaw; Frost resistance; Interlaboratory; Interlaboratory study; Laboratories; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials Science; Original Article; Processes; Robustness; Scaling; Slab test; Solid Mechanics; Superabsorbent polymer; Superabsorbent polymers; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Air-entraining agent; CIF test; Interlaboratory study; Freeze–thaw; Slab test; Superabsorbent polymer; Scaling; Deicing salt; CDF test; Frost resistance
• ISSN: 1871-6873; 1359-5997; 1871-6873
• DOI: 10.1617/s11527-016-0868-7

NRC publication: Yes
This article presents the results of an interlaboratory experimental study performed by 13 international research groups within the framework of the activities of the RILEM Technical Committee 225-SAP “Applications of Superabsorbent Polymers in Concrete Construction”. Two commercially available superabsorbent polymers (SAP) were tested in terms of their influence on the freeze–thaw resistance of ordinary concrete. To test the robustness of the method, all participating laboratories used locally produced materials. Furthermore, following this aim, various accelerated methods were used to estimate the resistance of the concrete to freeze–thaw cycles. The effect of adding SAP was from insignificant to considerably positive in terms of improvement in material performance as determined by reduced mass loss after freeze–thaw cycles; only one participant observed worsening of the material behaviour. At the same time, due to the addition of SAP, a much less pronounced decrease in the dynamic Young’s modulus was observed as a result of freeze–thaw testing without deicing salt.