Abstract

MOORE, A J; BAKERA, A T  and  ALEXANDER, M G. A critical review of the Water Sorptivity Index (WSI) parameter for potential durability assessment: Can WSI be considered in isolation of porosity?. J. S. Afr. Inst. Civ. Eng. [online]. 2021, vol.63, n.2, pp.27-34. ISSN 2309-8775.  https://doi.org/10.17159/2309-8775/2021/v63n2a4.

The Durability Index (DI) approach used in South Africa is linked to transport-related properties of the cover layer of concrete. This performance-based approach utilises three different durability-related parameters, namely Water Sorptivity Index (WSI), Oxygen Permeability Index (OPI) and Chloride Conductivity Index (CCI). In the water sorptivity test, both the sorptivity and the water-penetrable porosity of the concrete are measured. Until now, porosity has not been considered directly as a separate durability-related parameter. This paper analyses these implications and suggests that porosity should be adopted as a further index. The paper concludes that sorptivity cannot be interpreted without also reflecting the porosity value since these two parameters are inter-related.

Keywords : concrete durability; durability index; water sorptivity; porosity; absorption.

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