Carbonation resistance of one industrial mortar used as a concrete coating

In aggressive environments, concrete itself may not be enough to protect the reinforcement against carbon dioxide penetration. This gas reacts with the portlandite of the concrete to form calcium carbonate. This process leads to a pH reduction and, therefore, promotes the depassivation of the steel reinforcement in reinforced concretes. Therefore, a supplementary protection method such as coating with a mortar, as carbonation barrier can be used to provide adequate durability. Experimental data are presented to illustrate the effect of three different testing levels of CO2 on an industrial mortar applied to a concrete base in order to evaluate its performance as an anti-carbonation barrier. The results from the coated concrete are compared with the carbonation resistance of the uncoated plain concrete. The carbonation depth was determined using a phenolphthalein pH-indicator. A clear reduction in carbonation was observed when the mortar was applied. The validity of the accelerated testing method, which consists of placing the mortar in a high carbon dioxide concentration chamber for a controlled time, and carbonation coefficients to assess coating effectiveness are discussed. The use of 100% carbon dioxide is highly questionable for accelerated carbonation testing.