E

xamples of deteri o rating con-

c rete are commonly known to
all of us. Often the trouble comes
f rom using a poor quality of con-
c re t e, but frequently good concre t e
has been unintentionally subjected
to conditions that lead to disinte-
g ration. When this happens, the
owner is understandably upset and
the contractor may find himself
blamed for a failure which might
h a ve been avoided if both part i e s
had been better informed about the
natural limitations of concrete.
Although properly made concre t e
is inherently a rugged, durable ma-
t e rial, there are many physical and
chemical forces in the enviro n m e n t
which can contribute to its deteri o-
ration. This article points out some
of the conditions that lead to chem-
ical attack on hardened concre t e
and suggests some pre c a u t i o n a ry
m e a s u res to reduce or avoid deteri-
o ration. Not all corro s i ve materi a l s
a re discussed; ra t h e r, emphasis is on
some of the most frequently en-
c o u n t e re d .
In general, resistance to chemical
attack improves with the quality of
the concre t e. By observing funda-
mental rules for producing concre t e
of high quality, contractors can be
a s s u red of having the best natura l
resistance to aggre s s i ve chemicals.
This means:
use of an appro p riate water ce-
ment ra t i o, below 0.44 if the con-
c rete must resist acids
use of properly graded aggre g a t e s
selected for strength and dura b i l-
i t y
thorough mixing
observation of good handling,
placing and finishing pra c t i c e s
thorough curi n g
L ow permeability is particularly de-
s i rable as a pre vention against dete-
ri o ration caused by chemical
a g e n t s. Low - p e rmeability concre t e
can be produced by lowe ring the
water content of the mix as much as
p o s s i b l e. This is accomplished by:
uniform grading of aggregate with
i n c o r p o ration of sufficient fines
use of the largest possible maxi-
mum size of aggre g a t e
use of the driest mix consistent
with the workability re q u i red (ad-
m i x t u res may help with this)
use of entrained air
Dry concrete which has deve l o p e d
its design strength is not usually
damaged by dry chemicals. It also
withstands attack by many chemi-
cals in solution; howe ve r, many
chemical agents, ranging from acid
in sour milk to gases in sewage, can
under certain conditions seve re l y
d e t e ri o rate even high quality con-
c re t e. Ab ra s i ve action can incre a s e
the rate of chemical attack by con-
tinually exposing a fresh surface to
the chemical. High tempera t u re s
f u rther compound the problem be-
cause chemical reactions are speed-
ed up as tempera t u re incre a s e s.
When the attacking agent cannot
be resisted by concrete of any quali-
t y, it is necessary to use special sur-
face treatments to resist deteri o ra-
tion. Ma t e rials for surf a c e
p rotection, which can be obtained
to resist almost any degree of chem-
ical concentration, are described in
detail in the re p o rt of ACI Co m m i t-
tee 515, Guide for Protection of
Co n c rete Against Chemical At t a c k
by Means of Coatings and Ot h e r
Co r rosion Resistant Ma t e ri a l s. 1
The Table lists alphabetically
some common chemicals, summa-
ri ze their influence on concre t e,
point out pre ve n t i ve measures that
may be taken, and list suggested
p ro t e c t i ve coatings. If the tre a t e d
s u rface is to be exposed to public
v i e w, color may be important in the
Chemical attack
on hardened concrete
Good concrete can resist some chemicals
but requires protection from the destructive effects of others
Aci ds have eroded t hi s beam i n a sewage t reat ment faci l i t y.
selection of a coating. Taste and
odor can be factors in selecting lin-
ings for food processing tanks or
wine storage va t s. Other types of
p rotection may be needed to pre-
vent partial loss of liquid by pene-
t ration into the concre t e.
Aci ds
Acids combine with calcium
compounds in hyd rated cement to
f o rm soluble substances which are
easily eroded, thus producing con-
c rete disintegration. Many acids are
used directly in industrial pro c e s s e s ;
in other industri e s, acids develop as
a result of bacterial growth in waste
or spilled material. If their pre s e n c e
is anticipated, they can be handled
p ro p e r l y, as outlined in the table, to
a void attack on the concre t e.
Co n c rete can be destroyed by
p rolonged contact with strong solu-
tions of sulfuric, sulfuro u s, hy-
d ro c h l o ric, nitric, hyd ro b romic and
h yd ro f l u o ric acids. These same
acids in solutions of less than 1 per-
cent concentration will attack more
s l owly but still significantly. Ac i d s
with low pH values are destru c t i ve.
Although the pH value is not always
a good measure of aggre s s i ve n e s s,
an approximate dividing line be-
t ween harmful and harmless con-
c e n t rations is at a pH value of 5.5 to
6. High quality concrete will pro b a-
bly tolerate contact with inorg a n i c
acids of higher pH values than 5.5.2
Lactic, acetic and other org a n i c
acids such as those that can be
f o rmed from vegetable and animal
fats also may cause serious concre t e
d e t e ri o ration. The problem is worse
w h e re small depressions collect ag-
g re s s i ve liquids and make cleaning
difficult. Ab ra s i ve traffic aggra va t e s
the condition. In some plants, it
p roves economical to simply re-
place or re s u rface the floors peri o d-
i c a l l y, following re c o m m e n d a t i o n s
for heavy duty floors given in Re f e r-
ence 3. Other owners may install
q u a r ry tile or glazed brick floor cov-
e rings set in acid-resistant mortar or
g rout as described by ACI 515 1 and
in ASTM standard specifications C
287, C 395, C 466 and C 658.
Bases
Bases are chemical compounds
such as ammonia water and caustic
soda which yield hyd roxyl ions (OH-
) in water solutions; they neutra l i ze
acids into salts and have pH va l u e s
a b ove 7.0. When portland cement
c o n c rete is made with non-alkali-
re a c t i ve aggre g a t e s, it is highly re s i s-
tant to strong solutions of most
b a s e s. Calcium, ammonium, bari-
um and strontium hyd roxides are
n o rmally harm l e s s, but sodium hy-
d roxide may cause damage as out-
lined in the table.
Sal t s
Salts are chemical compounds
usually formed by reaction betwe e n
acids and bases. Ord i n a ry table salt
(sodium chloride) is a familiar ex-
a m p l e. Sodium chloride does not at-
tack concrete chemically but con-
t ributes to the corrosion of
re i n f o rcing steel and, when used as
a deicer, participates in and aggra-
vates physical damage re s u l t i n g
f rom fre ezing and thawing. The
c h l o rides and nitrates of ammoni-
um, magnesium, aluminum and
i ron all cause concrete deteri o ra-
tion, with those of ammonium pro-
ducing the most damage.
Some of the salts best known for
their damaging effects on concre t e
a re the sulfates. Soluble sulfates
( p rincipally those of sodium, calci-
um and magnesium) occur natura l-
ly in many parts of the world and are
potentially harmful to concre t e.
Soils or waters containing these sul-
fates are often popularly called a l-
kali soil or water. Sulfate attack is
usually accompanied by expansion
of concre t e, due to the formation of
solid reaction products which have
a volume much larger than that of
the solids which entered into the re-
An aci d-eroded concret e pi l l ar suppor t i ng a rot at i ng shaft for a pi ckl i ng
t ank i s bei ng encapsul at ed i n aci d-proof bri ck and aci d-proof mor t ar.
action. In seve re cases concre t e
slabs split, heave, and fall apart .
Cement s for sul fat e resi st ance
Resistance to naturally occurri n g
sulfates can best be achieved by use
of a cement with a limited amount
of tricalcium aluminate. This is be-
cause sulfate attack pri m a rily in-
vo l ves the damaging ettri n g i t e
which is formed by reaction with tri-
calcium aluminate hyd ra t e.
Recommendations for sulfate-re-
sistant cements to be used in the
United States include:
Type II cement (maximum of 8
p e rcent tricalcium aluminate) for
c o n c rete to be exposed to sulfate
solutions of 150 to 1,000 parts per
million (ppm) as S04 or to soils
having 0.10 to 0.20 percent water-
soluble sulfate as S04.
Type V cement (maximum of 5
p e rcent tricalcium aluminate)
should be used when the S04 con-
c e n t ration exceeds 1,000 ppm in
water solution or when soluble
SO4 exceeds 0.20 percent in soil.2
Sugars, fat s and oi l s
Trace amounts of sugar in fre s h l y
mixed concrete are sufficient to re-
t a rd the setting, but dry sugar has no
effect on hardened concre t e. Su g a r
solutions and sugar- c o n t a i n i n g
food products may cause deteri o ra-
tion (See Table). Air drying for at
least 28 days following curing helps
c o n c rete resist attack from sugar so-
l u t i o n s. Treatment with surf a c e
h a rdeners such as magnesium flu-
osilicate may also improve re s i s-
tance to sugar solutions, but the use
of heavier coatings or liners is often
advised for high concentra t i o n s.
The free acid in animal and ve g-
etable oils, which increases with ex-
p o s u re to air, causes deteri o ration of
c o n c re t e. The amount of attack by
such oils depends on how easily
they can penetrate the concre t e.
Both viscosity of the oil and perm e-
ability of the concrete are impor-
tant. It is frequently impractical to
attempt to control the viscosity, but
the seve rity of attack can be pre d i c t-
ed in advance from the viscosity so
that appro p riate steps may be tak-
en for control. For example, some
vegetable oils are more destru c t i ve
than animal oils merely because the
latter become solid when cold.
Mi n e ral oils are generally harm-
less to hardened concre t e, but they
a re sometimes mixed with small
amounts of vegetable oil, and dam-
age has been re p o rted because of
acids contributed by the ve g e t a b l e
oil.
This is an updating of the article ti-
tled Agencies That Attack Con-
c rete, published in Concrete Con-
struction, December 1957, page 3.
References:
1. ACI Committee 515: Guide for the
Protection of Concrete Against Chemi-
cal Attack by Means of Coatings and
Other Corrosion-resistant Materials,
ACI Journal, Proceedings V. 63, No.
12, December 1966, pages 1305-
1392.
2. Woods, Hubert: Durability of Con-
crete Construction, published jointly
by American Concrete Institute, De-
troit, Michigan, and Iowa State Univer-
sity Press, Ames, Iowa, 1968 pages
134-135.
3. Art and Skill of Finishing Floors,
Concrete Construction, November
1973, pages 525 to 529.
4. O. T. Barford: Cider Vats, Con-
crete, the Journal of the Concrete So-
ciety, Great Britain, March 1975, page
25.
5. Nielsen, Jorgen and Skougaard,
Poul: Effects of Soft Water Containing
Carbonic Acid on Concrete Pipes,
Nordisk Betong, Stockholm, V.6, 1962,
pages 235-246.
MATERIALS UNFRIENDLY TO CONCRETE . . . HOW TO PREVENT DAMAGE
Chemi cal How t o make concret e Prot ect i ve coat i ngs
subst ance Ef fect on concret e whi ch mi ni mi zes t he effect suggest ed
Acetic acid Disintegrates slowly Heavy duty floors per Bituminous or polysulfide
Reference 3 coatings. See ACI 515*
Ammonium
hydroxide
Not harmful to concrete
Animal fats Attack concrete to varying Use low water-cement ratio; Use surface hardeners
and oils degrees, depending on concen- make concrete dense and such as magnesium or zinc
tration of fatty acids and vis- impermeable fluosilicate or apply an
cosity of the oil oil-insoluble resin
Anthracite Since it is generally free of
coal sulfur, no damage is
anticipated (See also coal)
Buttermilk See lactic acid
Calcium Attacks concrete less severe- See magnesium sulfate See magnesium sulfate
sulfate ly than other sulfates due to
its limited solubility
Carbon Harmless to mature concrete, Be sure combustion heaters Surface hardeners and var
dioxide but may dissolve in water to are properly vented when ious coatings, per ACI 515*
produce carbonic acid, placing concrete in a heated
which see. enclosure
When freshly placed concrete
is exposed to sufficient con-
centration of CO2 it will harden
with chalky, dusting surface
Carbonic acid Highly corrosive to lean, per- Use dense, impermeable con- Epoxy, neoprene, vinyl and
meable concrete; causes slow crete with high cement content. other coatings per ACI 515*
disintegration of better See Reference 5
concretes
Coal Sulfides in coal may combine Exclude moisture by providing Surface hardeners such as
with moisture and oxygen to roof shelter over sulfur-bearing fluosilicates increase resist-
form sulfuric or sulfurous acid, coal. Make concrete dense and ance to attack.
producing severe deterioration. impermeable See ACI 515* for fully pro
The coal itself is not harmful protective coatings
Fats and oils See vegetable oil, mineral oil,
animal fats
Garbage Disintegrates concrete slowly Use good quality concrete of Protective coatings may be
low permeability ineffective where regular
scraping with metal blade
is necessary
Gasoline Not harmful to hardened
concrete
Hydrobromic See nitric acid; effects are
acid similar
Hydrochloric See nitric acid; effects are Protective coatings for var-
acid, similar ious concentrations per
Hydrofluoric ACI 515*
acid
Hydrogen Not harmful, except in moist, Use concretes of low Polyester, neoprene, epoxy
sulfide oxidizing environments where permeability and other coatings per
it produces sulfurous acid, ACI 515*
causing slow disintegration
Iron sulfide Disintegrates concrete of in- Make good quality concrete Epoxy, chlorosulfonated
(pyrites) adequate quality if it contains polyethylene, and poly-
ferric sulfate ester
Lactic acid Causes slow disintegration Antibacterial cements. Protective coatings per ACI
Dry mix, water-cement ratio 515*, or seal dry, cured
maximum 0.44. For floors, concrete with hot linseed
use heavy duty construction, oil or good varnish. Natural
with finishing per Reference 3 quarry tile or hard-burned
and curing for at least 7 days. brick set in acid-resistant
Flush daily with fresh water mortars
Linseed oil See vegetable oils
Magnesium Solutions of 0.5%or more Use high quality concrete; Bituminous, epoxy, rubber,
sulfate strongly attack concretes of cement-rich mixes with en- and many other coatings
inadequate sulfate resistance, trained air generally perform are effective
producing disruptive better. Limit tricalcium (See Reference 1)
expansion aluminate of cement as ex-
plained in text
Chemi cal How t o make concret e Prot ect i ve coat i ngs
subst ance Effect on concret e whi ch mi ni mi zes t he ef fect suggest ed
Chemi cal How t o make concret e Prot ect i ve coat i ngs
subst ance Effect on concret e whi ch mi ni mi zes t he ef fect suggest ed
Marmalade See sugar and sugar products Glass lined storage tanks
(in solution) suggested
Milk Fresh, not harmful; sour,
see lactic acid
Mineral oil Pure mineral oil harmless;
damage reported only when
the mineral oil contains small
amounts of animal or vegeta-
ble oil
Molasses See sugar and sugar products
(in solution)
Nitric acid Continued contact with strong Protective coatings per
solution destroys concrete. ACI 515*
Weak solutions attack slowly
Sea water Disintegrates concrete of in- Provide a high quality air Protective coatings per
adequate sulfate resistance and entrained mix with 3-inch ACI 515*
attacks reinforcement in po- cover over reinforcement.
rous or cracked concrete Limit tricalcium aluminate
content of cement to 8%
Sewage Usually not harmful to good Use carbonate aggregates. Bituminous, epoxy, vinyl
concrete. If hydrogen sulfide Design system to prevent con- coatings. Brick or tile
gas is present and exposed to version of hydrogen sulfide coverings
air, sulfuric acid may form and to sulfuric acid. If industrial
attack the concrete wastes are present, use cement
with less than 8%tricalcium
aluminate
Silage Disintegrates slowly Apply cement plaster or ce- Other protective coatings
ment wash to silo interior. as listed by ACI 515*
After curing let coating dry
slowly, at least 3 days, before
silo is put in service
Slaughterhouse Cause severe deterioration Use heavy-duty construction Tile or vitrified brick set in
wastes of concrete in areas of low concentration; acid-proof mortar. Thick
elsewhere protective coatings vinyl or neoprene coatings
are needed (See ACI 515*)
Sodium carbon- Not harmful to well-cured
ate (in solution) concrete but may cause fresh
concrete to deteriorate
Sodium chloride Not chemically aggressive to
concrete but causes reinforce-
ment corrosion in porous or
cracked concrete
Sodium Not harmful at ordinary con- Limit tricalcium aluminate to
hydroxide (lye) centrations except where con- less than 12%. Do not use cal-
crete is made with alkali- cium aluminate cements
reactive aggregates. Above
about 20%attacks concrete
Sodium sulfate Solutions of 0.5%or more Use high quality concrete; ce- Bituminous, epoxy, rubber,
strongly attack concrete of in- ment-rich mixes with entrained and many other coatings
adequate sulfate resistance, air generally perform better. are effective. See ACI 515*
causing disruptive expansion Limit tricalcium aluminate
content of cement
Chemi cal How t o make concret e Prot ect i ve coat i ngs
subst ance Ef fect on concret e whi ch mi ni mi zes t he effect suggest ed
Sugar and sugar Dry:** no effect on hardened Cure concrete thoroughly, Fluosilicate treatment or
products concrete. then allow to dry at least 28 bituminous, epoxy, neo-
In solution: attacks concrete days in air. High alumina ce- prene and other coatings,
ment concrete has greater re- per ACI 515*
sistance, but may not provide
a permanent remedy
Sulfur dioxide Dry gas has no effect on dry Acid-resistant linings needed Vinyl, epoxy, chlorinated
concrete. Combined with for concrete chimneys rubber and other coatings,
moisture, it forms acids which per ACI 515*
cause etching and long-term
deterioration
Sulfuric acid See nitric acid:
Sulfurous acid effects are similar
Vegetable fats Attack concrete to varying Use low water-cement ratio Neoprene, epoxy, polyester,
and oils degrees, depending on viscos- concrete; make concrete dense and many others, depend-
ity of oil and concentration and impermeable ing on particular oil.
of fatty acids See ACI 515*
Vinegar Slow disintegration Heavy-duty floor construction, Storage tanks may require
(5%acetic acid) per Reference 3 glass lining set in acid-re-
sistant mortar. For coatings
on other surfaces, see
ACI 515*
Water, natural Can contain harmful carbonic
pure acid produced when carbon
dioxide dissolves. See
carbonic acid
* Reference 1, referred to in table simply as ACI 515, lists nearly 300 chemicals and their effects on concrete.
**Even trace amounts of sugar in freshly mixed concrete retard set, and may make concrete totally unusable.
PUBLICATION #C750328
Copyright 1975, The Aberdeen Gro u p
All rights re s e rv e d