Surface calibration of electromagnetic properties to simultaneously consider water and chloride contents in concrete both with and without slag.

In this work, novel calibration curves and calibration surfaces of Electromagnetic (EM) characteristics are modeled as a function of the water and chloride contents of concrete. An experimental campaign was carried out on cores extracted from two types of concretes: C1 (Ordinary Portland Concrete) and C3 (62% slag + 38% clinker). The cores were initially saturated at three sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations and then oven-dried to attain different degrees of saturation. They were tested with the electromagnetic and electrical cell to determine the dielectric permittivity and electrical resistivity, respectively, at the targeted hydric and chloride ion contents. The calibration curves and calibration surfaces, which represent the resistivity and permittivity as a function of chloride content and/or degree of saturation, were adjusted and presented for both concretes. The calibration surfaces developed herein serve as an essential tool to study complex phenomena, such as the coupled water-chloride ingress. • Developing novel calibration curves and calibration surfaces that correlate the permittivity and resistivity of concrete to its chloride and water content. • Investigating the impact of slag on the permittivity and resistivity of concrete. • Proposing a non-destructive methodology to monitor chloride and water content for reinforced concrete structures exposed to a tidal zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]