Dirk Qvaeschning

Mr. Dirk Qvaeschning


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

7Years (2020-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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21 March 2020 in Materials
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SISara Irico
Sara Irico
LMLaurence De Meyst
Laurence De Meyst
DQDirk Qvaeschning
Dirk Qvaeschning
MAMaria Cruz Alonso
Maria Cruz Alonso
KVKristina Villar
Kristina Villar
Nele De BelieNele De Belie
Nele De Belie
The corrosion by severe sulfuric acid attack at pH 2 of two self-compacting concrete (SCC) types that are based on ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and granulometrically optimized blast-furnace slag cement was evaluated by three complementary tests that were performed in different research institutes. The use of SCC is a smart and promising solution to improve the performance of concrete in an aggressive environment, especially regarding ready-mixed concrete applications, since good compaction is less dependent on workmanship. The relevance and practical advantages of the different test protocols and the influence of the experimental parameters are discussed. It appears that the frequency of renewing the acid solution during the exposure period is the main parameter that influences the mass loss and the rate of degradation, while the sample geometry and the ratio between the volume of solution and concrete surface area had no clear influence. Nevertheless, there was reasonable agreement between the methods regarding the magnitude of the concrete degradation (resulting in a mass loss of about 2.5 kg/m² in six months time). The use of granulometrically optimized slag cement provided a moderate increase of the concrete resistance against acid attack, and this practice might be recommended in order to increase the durability of structures exposed to sulfuric acid media. The fact that the difference in comparison with SCC-OPC was rather limited shows that the influence of the cement type becomes less relevant in the case of concrete with low w/c ratio and optimized concrete technology.