A parametric study of concrete permeability

Permeability plays a key role in concrete performance. Concrete permeability requirements are dependent upon concrete applications. Functional requirements of concrete permeability may lead to environmental concerns. Most concrete permeability tests are very time consuming. Rapid chloride permeability test is a desirable surrogate test for measuring the permeability of concrete. This paper presents findings of a parametric chloride permeability study. The methodology included a stepwise regression analysis, which pointed out the relative importance of various variables and their combined effects on chloride permeability of concrete. The results indicate that the following variables influence the chloride permeability of concrete: water to cement ratio, air content, coarse aggregate absorption, concrete cure method, and cure time. The most important feature of this paper is that relative effect of these variables on concrete permeability can be quantified by using the models presented.