Nondestructive Testing of Concrete Permeability

In this article a research program on performance-based durability design of concrete highway structures conducted at Wayne State University is presented. The relation between concrete durability and its soundness (freedom from cracking) is described. A measure of concrete soundness based on ultrasonic pulse velocity developed during this research that incorporates the effects of concrete placement and curing as well as the cracking parameters is explained. Moreover, the laboratory and in-situ concrete permeability measures used for comparisons to the nondestructive in-situ procedure is also described. The laboratory tests that were used are; volume of permeable voids, sorptivity, air (gas) permeability, rapid chloride permeability test, and chloride ion penetration. Additional in-situ tests that were explored are Figg's air and water permeability.