Chloride content limits recommended by ACI Committee 201

Committee task group proposes slight relaxation of limits

BY THOMAS J. READING CONSULTING ENGINEER The corrosion generally results from electrochemical cells within the concrete. An electrolyte, usually a solution of salt and water in the concrete, is necessary to form the cells. Oxygen is also necessary for the corrosion reaction to take place.

n the late 1970s ACI Committee 201, Durability of Concrete, was finishing work on its Guide to Durable Co n c re t e to update a 1962 report on the subject. It came to our attention that during the interim the corrosion of reinforcing steel had become a major problem particularly in bridge decks but also in marine construction, parking decks and certain other concrete construction. The corrosion is detrimental to the steel and causes an expansion that severely spalls the concrete. In most cases a principal cause of the corrosion is chloride in the concrete. The chloride comes from deicing agents as well as the concrete ingredients. (Other factors such as poor quality of the concrete and inadequate cover over the steel are sometimes involved.) The increase in corrosion in recent years may be explained largely by the greater use of chloride deicers on bridge decks and the chloride deposited by vehicles on parking decks.

SOLUBLE CHLORIDE TEST

Since the preparation of this article, a standardized test for soluble chloride content of hardened concrete has been proposed within ASTM Committee C 09.03.12, Miscellaneous Tests, headed by John L. Minnick.

The 1962 report of Committee 201 said very little about the chloride problem.

Committee 201s approach to the problem

Because of the effect of chloride on steel corrosion, some might recommend that all chloride in concrete be outlawed. This would be a difficult and costly approach,

TABLE 1. ACI COMMITTEE 201S 1977 RECOMMENDATIONS ON CHLORIDE CONTENT OF CONCRETE FROM ACI 201.2R-77
Category of concrete service Maximum water-soluble chloride ion content, percent by weight of cement 0.06 0.10 0.15

Prestressed concrete Conventionally reinforced concrete in a moist environment and exposed to chloride Conventionally reinforced concrete in a moist environment but not exposed to chloride (includes locations where the concrete will be occasionally wettedsuch as kitchens, parking garages, waterfront structures, and areas with potential moisture condensation) Above-ground construction wherethe concrete will stay dry

No limit for corrosion*

* If calcium chloride is used as an admixture, a limit of 2 percent is generally recommended for reasons other than corrosion. Using 2 percent of the usual form (the dihydrate, CaCl22H2O) may be acceptable in most conventionally reinforced concrete which does not contain other embedded metals and which will not be exposed to chloride in service. Editors note: ACI 212.1R-81, Admixtures for Concrete, quotes these same provisions from ACI 201.2R-71 except that it does not give the parenthetical statement in the third item. Instead, after the fourth item, on above-ground construction, ACI 212.1R-81 gives most of the same information in negative form. It reads: (does not include locations where the concrete will be occasionally wettedsuch as kitchens, parking garages and waterfront structures).

TABLE 2. ACI COMMITTEE 201S 1982 TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS ON CHLORIDE CONTENT OF CONCRETE
Category of concrete service Maximum water-soluble chloride ion content, percent by weight of cement 0.06

Prestressed concrete Reinforced concrete which will be exposed to chlorides in service such as bridge decks, parking garages, marine construction, and certain industrial plants Reinforced concrete which will not be exposed to chloride but may be wet in service Reinforced concrete which will be completely dry, or suitably protected, in service

0.15 0.30 No limit for corrosion

howe ve r, because chlorides are present in va ry i n g amounts in all of the ingredients of concrete. Fu rt h e rmore, calcium chloride is our cheapest and probably most reliable set accelerator and therefore has been used considerably in concrete and chemical admixtures. Committee 201 concluded that the proper approach was to set limits on the chloride content of the entire mix for various categories of construction. Coming up with reasonable values was not an easy undertaking. Results from different researchers disagree, but some studies show that as little as 0.15 percent water-soluble chloride by weight of cement can trigger corrosion where the concrete is moist and oxygen is abundant.* No limit is necessary where the concrete stays completely dry. (When calcium chloride has been used as an admixture a limit of 2 percent calcium chloride by weight of ce-

ment is usually applied for other reasons.) After considering all available data, Committee 201, in agreement with ACI Committee 222, Corrosion of Metals in Concrete, established limits (shown in Table 1) on the chloride content of concrete prior to service exposure. Information in this table appeared in the Guide to Durable Concrete, 201.2R-77, published in the December 1977 ACI Journal. The very tight limit for prestressed concrete is justified because only a small amount of corrosion of the small, highly stressed wires would have serious consequences. * The term chloride as used herein refers to chloride ion (Cl_); 2.0 percent of flake calcium chloride (CaCl2_2H2O) is equivalent to 1.0 percent of chloride ion.

A CHLORIDE GLOSSARY
Anhydrous calcium chlorideCrystalline, water-free calcium chloride of the chemical formula CaCl2. Calcium chlorideA crystalline solid, CaCl2. Used in various technical grades as an accelerator of concrete, a deicing chemical or a drying agent. Also used for other miscellaneous purposes. Calcium chloride dihydrateCrystalline calcium chloride combined with 2 moles of water per mole of anhydrous salt. Has the chemical formula CaCl2_2H2O. Calcium chloride flakeA commercial grade of calcium chloride. Some manufacturers produce it from anhydrous calcium chloride and others from the dihydrate. Calcium chloride pelletsCrystalline anhydrous calcium chloride formed into standardized pellets. Chloride ionThe anion that is supplied by dissolving calcium chloride, sodium chloride or other soluble chloride. The chloride ion can play a role, in some circumstances, in the corrosion of iron or steel in concrete. Liquid calcium chlorideA common term for a solution made by dissolving anhydrous calcium chloride or any calcium chloride hydrate in water. The solution usually contains somewhere between 28 and 42 percent anhydrous calcium chloride by weight of solution, depending on the specifications of the buyer. Soluble chlorideEssentially the amount of chloride ion in hardened concrete or in concrete-making materials which is available to go into solution under specific test conditions. An ASTM method for determining soluble chloride is being standardized. Threshold limitThe concentration of chloride ion in hydrated cement or concrete below which the chloride is thought not to promote the corrosion process. The exact value of the threshold limit has not been definitively established and may vary with circumstances.

Testing for chloride

The effect of chloride on the corrosion of steel depends on the form in which it occurs. It is the watersoluble portion, which is generally 50 to 85 percent of the total chloride in the concrete, which causes corrosion. The remaining chloride is either already chemically combined with other materials used in the concrete or else becomes combined with the cement in the hyd ra t i o n p ro c e s s, and this combined chloride is not detrimental. Unfortunately, presently available test methods for determining soluble chloride are not as precise as those for total chloride. Therefore Committee 201 recommends that tests for total chloride content (of the hardened concrete) be made first, according to the method of

ASTM C 114. (If desired, the chloride content of any of the ingredients may be determined separately.) If the total chloride content exceeds the allowable limits, then the watersoluble portion should be measured.

Recent developments
When the values in Table 1 were being considered by ACI Committee 318 for inclusion in the forthcoming revision to the ACI Building Code, the two committees received complaints from some contractors and admixture manufacturers that the chloride limits were unduly res t ri c t i ve, particularly for general building construction. It was stated that field experience has not shown the need for such tight limits. Committee 201 then established a

task force to study the matter further, taking into account the results of recent research and field studies, and specifications used in other c o u n t ri e s. The task force came up with the slightly relaxed version shown in Table 2. Committee 201 has recommended these limits to Committee 318, which currently has them under consideration. It is to be expected that these limits will be further adjusted as the corrosion problem becomes better understood and more data become available.

PUBLICATION #C820777
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