Influence of cracking on the diffusion properties of cement-based materials - Part I: Influence of continuous cracks on the steady-state regime

The influence of traversing cracks on the steady-state diffusion properties of concrete was studied. The effect of both anisotropic and isotropic crack networks was first theoretically assessed using an analytical approach. To simplify the transport equations, cracks were assumed to be of uniform size and evenly distributed on a one- or two-dimensional grid. Results of the theoretical analysis were then compared to experimental data. Both series of results indicate that cracking can markedly alter the diffusion properties of the material and favor the penetration (or the leaching) of drifting species. A simple method to predict the effect of cracking on the concrete diffusivity is proposed. Predictions are made on the basis of two parameters: the crack density and the mean crack aperture. This method can provide a first estimate of the diffusion properties of severely damaged concrete elements. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.