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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/L40304/01
Title: MEMBRANE POTENTIAL OF CONCRETE AND ITS EFFECT ON CHLORIDE TRANSPORT
Principal Investigator: Buenfeld, Professor NR
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 July 1997 Ends: 31 December 1999 Value (£): 97,382
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Civil Engineering Materials
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The Applicant has recently measured membrane potentials of between 20 and 45mV across OPC mortar specimens housed in diffusion cells. The strong influence of electric fields of this magnitude on ion transport in cementitious materials is well established and hence this self produced electric field is considered to be a crucial factor affecting chloride transport in concrete. A test method for accurately measuring membrane potentials in concrete specimens will be developed an applied to identify the influence of cement, concrete and environmental parameters on membrane potential. By understanding the effect of cement and concrete parameters on membrane potential, it may be possible to engineer materials to be particularly resistant to chloride penetration. A finite difference model of chloride diffusion will be developed to explicitly include the effect of membrane potential and it will be used to predict the effect of membrane potential in practical. Recommendations will be developed for situations where membrane potential should be taken into account, such as interpretation of chloride diffusion test results, prediction of chloride profiles, measurement and interpretation of reinforcing steel potentials and design of electrochemical chloride extraction and cathodic protection systems.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk