Chemo-Mechanical Effects in Mortar Beams Subjected to Water Hydrolysis

Reliable predictions of the long-term behavior of concrete structures require both an accurate knowledge of the various degradation mechanisms that affect the structures over their lifetime and the use of simulation tools. Leaching due to aggressive water can be responsible for a loss of mechanical properties and stability of concrete structures. This paper focuses on coupled chemo-mechanical effects on concrete structures subjected to aggressive water inducing calcium leaching. Experimental investigations on mortar bending beams and their analysis are detailed. The response of leached mortar beams is deduced from these tests. It is found that the stiffness of mortar decreases, along with its strength, as the chemical attack progresses. The size effect on geometrically similar bending beams at various stages of degradation is studied experimentally. Due to leaching, the brittleness of the structures is increased and the fracture energy decreases.