Nonlinear resonance vibration assessment to evaluate the freezing and thawing resistance of concrete

Abstract

Under cold environments, the freezing and thawing cycles of water in concrete reduce the lifetime and durability of concrete structures. For enhanced freezing and thawing resistance, entrained air voids are generally required, but malfunctioning of air entrainment is sometimes reported in the field. To evaluate the quality of air entrainment, this study proposes a nondestructive method that is a preceding evaluation before damage to the concrete. A nonlinear resonance vibration method is adopted in samples having an identical air void content. The durable concrete sample with resistance to freezing and thawing cycles shows higher nonlinearity in its resonance. Thus, the quality of air entrainment and, furthermore, the potential freezing and thawing resistance can possibly be evaluated by measuring the nonlinearity parameter of the concrete, which is preliminary study to attempt the preceding evaluation of freezing and thawing resistance using nondestructive method.