Mechanical behavior of self compacting concrete equivalent mortar attacked by sodium sulfate solution

This article presents an experimental study of self compacting concrete equivalent mortar, and the effectiveness of microsilica and limestone fillers in minimization of the damage resulting from such attack. The test solution employed to provide the sulfate ion and cation was 4.5% sodium sulfate solution. The solution saturated with lime was employed as the reference solution. The main variables investigated in the study were the type of cement, and mineral admixture. Compressive strength and flexural strength measured on (40x40x160) mm specimens were used to assess their mechanical properties after three months of exposure to sodium sulfate solution. Masses of mortar specimens were evaluated in time to determine the extent of deterioration. X-ray diffraction was used to evaluate the microstructural nature of the sulfate attack. The test results showed that the use of microsilica had a beneficial effect on the increase of durability and the mechanical resistance of mortars, as for limestone filler, its incorporation in the formulation of mortars generated a loss in their mechanicals properties caused by their expansions