Freezing Characteristics of Deicing Salt Solution and Influence on Concrete Salt Frost Deterioration

Abstract

Concrete structures would commonly suffer from salt frost deterioration in cold climate areas. The governing mechanism of concrete salt frost deterioration was comprehensively influenced by the freezing characteristics of deicing salt solutions. Characteristics of solution density, freezing point, freezing volume variation, and freezing expansion pressure of deicing salt solutions were experimentally investigated. A special device was designed and adopted to determine the freezing expansion pressure of deicing salt solutions. Investigation results indicated that all characteristics of deicing salt solutions were affected by solution concentration. As solution concentration increased, the freezing point and the maximum expansion ratio of solution volume decreased, and the maximum contraction ratio of solution volume increased. Freezing expansion pressure was determined by solution component, solution concentration, and volume saturation degree. As the critical saturation degree of solution volume was reached, freezing expansion pressure increased sharply. The freezing expansion pressure of deicing salt solutions was high enough to cause concrete salt frost deterioration.