Permeability is defined as the property that governs the rate of flow of a fluid into a porous solid. If concrete is impermeable, corrosive agents cannot penetrate and attack it. Concrete basically has two types of pores, which determine permeability. These are capillary pores (with a diameter varying between 0.01 to 10 micron)
in the cement paste which coats the aggregates and larger microvoids, between 1 mm to 10 mm, which are caused by faulty compaction of fresh concrete. When voids are interconnected because of their larger number and size a continuous link is formed, which makes the concrete permeable.
Factors affecting permeability of concrete
1- Water-Cement Ratio
2- Improper Compaction of Concrete
3- Improper Curing
4- Age of concrete
5- Pore structure
6- Degree of compaction
Click here to download PDF file
