Abstract
Electrical resistivity is increasingly recognised as a practical indicator of concrete durability, particularly for assessing cover-zone properties and corrosion risk. However, interpretation of in-situ measurements is complicated by the influence of natural temperature fluctuations. This paper presents the application of a recently proposed temperature correction protocol for electrical resistivity measurements in newly batched concrete, enabling accurate evaluation of microstructural development under variable environmental conditions during both curing and post-curing periods. The proposed approach employs activation energy derived from in-situ measurements and implements an Arrhenius-based correction to normalise resistivity to reference temperatures of 10oC and 20oC. Experimental results demonstrate that the correction procedure effectively removes temperature-induced artefacts, revealing progressive increases in resistivity attributable to hydration and pore refinement. Activation energy was found to vary with time and binder composition, and empirical relationships were established for Portland cement and GGBS concretes. Validation using equivalent resistivity confirmed the robustness of the correction protocol, while comparisons between natural and controlled curing regimes highlighted the significant influence of temperature on concrete performance. The findings emphasise the importance of temperature correction for reliable interpretation of resistivity data and the need for caution against direct use of laboratory results to field conditions.
Keywords
activation energy, durability, electrical resistivity, in-situ measurement, temperature correction
Date of Version
2025
DOI
10.5703/1288284318210
Recommended Citation
Suryanto, Benny and Tambusay, Asdam, "Correction of Temperature Effects on the Resistivity of GGBS Concrete under Natural Environmental Exposure" (2025). International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures. 4.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/icdcs/2025/mccarter/4
Correction of Temperature Effects on the Resistivity of GGBS Concrete under Natural Environmental Exposure
Electrical resistivity is increasingly recognised as a practical indicator of concrete durability, particularly for assessing cover-zone properties and corrosion risk. However, interpretation of in-situ measurements is complicated by the influence of natural temperature fluctuations. This paper presents the application of a recently proposed temperature correction protocol for electrical resistivity measurements in newly batched concrete, enabling accurate evaluation of microstructural development under variable environmental conditions during both curing and post-curing periods. The proposed approach employs activation energy derived from in-situ measurements and implements an Arrhenius-based correction to normalise resistivity to reference temperatures of 10oC and 20oC. Experimental results demonstrate that the correction procedure effectively removes temperature-induced artefacts, revealing progressive increases in resistivity attributable to hydration and pore refinement. Activation energy was found to vary with time and binder composition, and empirical relationships were established for Portland cement and GGBS concretes. Validation using equivalent resistivity confirmed the robustness of the correction protocol, while comparisons between natural and controlled curing regimes highlighted the significant influence of temperature on concrete performance. The findings emphasise the importance of temperature correction for reliable interpretation of resistivity data and the need for caution against direct use of laboratory results to field conditions.
