Permeability Performance of High-Performance Concrete Subjected to Various Curing Regimes

Concrete technology has continued to advance throughout the years to meet the demands of designers and innovative structural systems. Traditionally, the most common means to specify durable concrete has been via specifying a maximum water-to-cementitious material ratio or a minimum cement content. With the advent of high-performance concrete (HPC), which often has higher contents of cementitious materials and a variety of admixtures, questions about permeability performance and alternative methods to specify durable concrete have arisen. The study conducted herein comments on the applicability of prescriptive specifications for HPC and investigates the influence of curing regimes and concrete temperature development during hydration on the permeability performance of HPC prestressed and precast beams and cast-in-place decks. These components were constructed for use in two recently constructed HPC bridges in Texas. Results indicate the benefits of an ASTM Class C fly ash from a permeability standpoint and emphasize that variables such as material constituents, curing condition, and concrete temperature play a dramatic role in the permeability performance of HPC.