Experimental investigation of the effect of salt on the hygroscopic properties of autoclaved aerated concrete

The hygroscopic properties of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) significantly affect building energy consumption. However, the impact of salt on the hygroscopic properties of AAC in buildings in marine environments has not been sufficiently investigated. Thus, we tested the hygroscopic performance of AAC specimens with different salt contents at various humidity levels. The results show that the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of the AAC is 0.98-1.25 (0.99-3.68) times higher in the presence of salt than in the absence of salt at low (high) relative humidity (RH) (RH threshold of 75.5%). Furthermore, an equation to predict the EMC of salt-containing materials was proposed based on existing adsorption equations and the results of this study. A comparison with related studies indicates that the reason for the high prediction value of the proposed prediction model may be an insufficient moisture absorption time. The proposed model can be used to calculate the EMC of building materials with different salt contents.

Automated summary

The impact of salt on the hygroscopic properties of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) in marine environments was investigated. An equation to predict the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of salt-containing materials was proposed.