Airborne Chloride Intensity and Chloride Ion Penetration into Mortar Specimen in Thailand

Abstract

The Southern and Eastern parts of Thailand have long coastlines and are located in a hot and humid climate zone. A concrete structure in such environmental conditions tends to deteriorate owing to the corrosion of the steel reinforcement by airborne chloride. The concentration of airborne chloride varies by location and exposure conditions in each country. Thus, when designing concrete structures in such environments, the amount of airborne chloride and the concrete mix proportions should be carefully considered. However, the study of airborne chloride intensity and penetration in Thailand is still limited. This study examined the airborne chloride in the atmosphere in Phuket, Phang-Nga, and Chonburi Province. The amount of airborne chloride was checked every 1–3 months during the test period. Although the distances from the seashore are almost the same in all three locations, the airborne chloride intensity varied owing to the different exposure directions and environmental conditions. Additionally, analysis of mortar specimens with different sources of fly ash installed in Chonburi province to assess the airborne chloride penetration behavior showed that airborne chloride concentration varied with the breaking wave height, rainfall, and varied penetration rate based on the source of fly ash.