Thermally induced moisture transport in concrete with different types of blended Portland cement studied by 1H-NMR relaxometry

Clinker-reduced cements are gaining in popularity as part of efforts to lower the construction industry’s CO ₂ footprint. Past studies showed that utilization of these cements negatively influences the fire-induced spalling behavior of concrete, which is highly influenced by thermohydraulic damage mechanisms. Therefore, thermally induced moisture transport in normal strength concretes made with different types of blended cements (CEM I, CEM II/A-LL, CEM III/A and CEM II/B-Q) was investigated by means of ¹ H-NMR relaxometry in combination with supportive side investigations concerning permeability and porosity. In addition, a numerical model was used to analyze in-situ moisture development during high temperature exposure. The results show that the cement type influences both initial moisture content and pore size-specific moisture distribution. This was primarily reflected in an increased water content in CEM III/A and CEM II/B-Q concretes as well as a comparable high gel pore water fraction in CEM II/B-Q concrete before heating. After heating, a similar degree of pore coarsening from gel to capillary pore was observed in all samples. Although the measurements were only conducted after, not during, high temperature exposure, the depth of the drying front and the extent of the moisture clog could be determined. With the additional numerical analysis, it can be assumed that during high temperature load, the drying front is less advanced and the moisture clog even more pronounced. In conclusion, it can be stated that the increased spalling susceptibility in blended cement concrete is caused by the lower initial permeability and increased moisture content.