Measurement of sulfate ion concentration in segregated post-tension grout

Abstract

Corrosion of steel strand embedded in deficient grout has been associated with elevated concentrations of sulfate ions stemming from grout segregation and the adverse influences of excess mix water and grout prehydration. There have been discussions about appropriate ways to assess sulfate ion levels in the grout pore water. Various test methodologies can include varying material conditioning procedures, including heating, drying, and chemical reactions that can influence the level of sulfate ion aggregation in the test leachate from the initial bleed water from the bulk material. In this study, the sulfate content was measured by leaching and alternative methods such as XRF and bleed water testing. Six leaching methods were employed to assess the effect of leaching heating, heating time, leaching volume, grout sample mass, and drying temperature. Leaching of larger grout sample mass can yield higher leachate sulfate concentrations, but the concentrations were not commensurate with the larger grout mass. Leaching of a larger grout sample mass with a mass-to-water ratio of 1:10 was not shown to be efficient in the dissolution of sulfate ions. Larger mass-to-water ratio (1:40) yielded higher sulfate concentrations in the leachate and normalized grout mass. Pre-drying of grout samples to 100 °C for 24 h was shown to incur losses in sulfate content. Recommendations of test methods to assess the sulfate ion content from segregated and hardened grout were made.