DateLaboratory Testing of Portland Cement Concrete Patch Material ...

- 5.2.4 Freeze/Thaw Durability -The concrete samples were also tested for freeze/thaw durability in accordance withASTM C 666 Procedure A, using 5 percent sodium chloride solution. The procedure forthis test was slightly modified to accommodate the staggered dates at which the variousconcrete samples were mixed. The rectangular concrete beams were removed from theirmolds within the first 24 hours and placed in a moist storage room, where they wereallowed to cure for 28 days. After the 28-day cure, in order to test all of the concretesamples in the same freeze/thaw chamber, the beams that were mixed at earlier dateswere placed in a freezer to suspend the curing process until the other samples that hadbeen mixed at later dates were ready. Before the beams were placed in the freezer, theywere allowed to air dry for 48 hours to prevent any damage.As shown in Figure 13 below, once all of the beams had cured for 28 days, they wereplaced in metal containers with open tops, and filled with the sodium chloride solution.The containers were then loaded into the freeze/thaw chamber and underwent 300 cyclesof freezing and thawing. The chamber was stopped after every 100 cycles to weigh thespecimens and determine their loss in mass.Figure 13. Freeze/Thaw TestingThe concrete specimens are placed in metal containers and loaded into the freeze/thaw chamber.The specimens are covered with a 5 percent sodium chloride solution and run through 300freeze/thaw cycles. After every 100 cycles, the specimens are removed from the chamber andtheir loss in mass is documented.27