Abstract

In cold climates de-icing salts (NaCl, CaCl 2 ) are regularly used to prevent the freezing of water on the horizontal surface of concrete structures like roadways and walkways which results in salt scaling, one of the major durability issues of the concrete. In this experimental research, the effect of one-week pre-saturation and three curing methods (standard 14-day moist curing, three-day curing, and the usage of a curing compound) on salt scaling resistance was studied in three concrete types including the plain concrete and concretes made with fly ash and slag at 25% and 35% cement replacement, respectively. Two salt scaling test methods used in this research included ASTM C 672/C 672M and its proposed replacement method (one-week presaturation). One-week pre-saturation was observed to improve the salt scaling resistance of the plain concrete and slag concrete while decreasing the resistance of fly ash concrete. The application of the curing compound resulted in lower salt scaling resistance than the standard 14-day moist curing method in fly ash and slag concretes and higher resistance in the plain concrete. The three-day moist curing method showed higher resistance than the standard 14-day moist curing method in fly ash concrete, lower resistance in slag concrete, and similar resistance in the plain concrete. The concrete made with slag showed the highest salt scaling resistance in accordance with ASTM C 672 and its proposed replacement method followed by the plain concrete followed by the concrete made with fly ash.