Experimental Research on the Influence of Humidity on the Moisture Diffusion in Cement-Based Materials

The migration of ion dissolved in water is known to be main factor inducing the deterioration of porous cement-based materials in aggressive environment. Long-term tests have been carried to study the moisture diffusion in mortar with water cement ratio of 0.5 and 0.6 in different humidity, and then the inverse analysis has been done to determine the moisture diffusion coefficient D. The results indicate that the bigger water cement ratio, the faster moisture migrating in same humidity, and the moisture migration process is longer for the mortar under lower humidity. Furthermore, the results of controlled experiments carried on mortar specimens with sea sand show that the moisture migration is longer for sea sand mortar than that of river sand, and the moisture loss is bigger.