Numerical Simulation Study of Transport Mechanism of Chloride Ions in Concrete Mesostructure under Water Pressure

doi:10.16552/j.cnki.issn1001-1625.2025.0883

Abstract

Abstract:

In marine environment， water pressure promotes the transmission of chloride ions in concrete， accelerating the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. This study established a theoretical model of chloride ion transport considering the diffusion-convection coupling effect and implemented numerical solutions at the mesoscopic scale of concrete using the finite element method. It simulated the chloride ion transport process in the mesoscopic structure of concrete under different water pressures and investigated the influence mechanisms of water pressure existence， erosion time， and hydrostatic pressure on the chloride ion transport behavior. The research shows that the existence of water pressure not only promotes the transport of chloride ions but also changes the chloride ion transport mechanism. When there is no water pressure， the chloride ion transport mechanism is mainly diffusion， while under water pressure， the transport mechanism shifts from diffusion-dominated to diffusion-convection coupling. Moreover， the promoting effect of the interface transition zone （ITZ） on chloride ions weakens with increasing water pressure， and the chloride ion transport becomes more directional. Additionally， even after long-term exposure， the chloride ion concentration in the deep regions of concrete can continue to accumulate to the critical concentration due to the water pressure effect. More importantly， when the water pressure increases from 0.10 MPa to 1.00 MPa， the chloride ion concentration in the deep regions shows an exponential growth. Based on the chloride ion concentration changes at the 60 d measurement point， the chloride ion concentration at 0.30 MPa is approximately 2.11 times that at 0.10 MPa， about 3.98 times at 0.50 MPa， and reaches approximately 14.22 times at 1.00 MPa. The promoting effect of water pressure on chloride ion transport cannot be ignored. This study quantitatively reveals the chloride ion transport laws under water pressure， providing a theoretical basis for the durability design and life prediction of pressure-bearing concrete structures such as submarine tunnels and hydraulic structures.

Key words: chloride ion erosion, hydrostatic pressure, mesoscopic structure of concrete, diffusion-convection, finite element method

CLC Number:

TU528

YU Aiping, LI Zhengkang, CHENG Zichen, YANG Yuhan, LIU Yongqi, CHEN Xuandong. Numerical Simulation Study of Transport Mechanism of Chloride Ions in Concrete Mesostructure under Water Pressure[J]. BULLETIN OF THE CHINESE CERAMIC SOCIETY, 2026, 45(2): 449-460.

Figures/Tables 16

Fig.1 Mesographic numerical model of concrete

Table 1 Comparison of chloride ion diffusion depth under different mesh divisions

Grid scheme	Diffusion depth/mm	Deviation from the finest mesh/%
Coarsen	15.045	0.89
Routine	15.128	0.34
Refine	15.205	0.16

Fig.2 Finite element meshing of mesoscale concrete

Table 2 Comparison of chloride ion concentration at different time steps

Time step/d	Chloride ion concentration /（mol·m^-3）	Deviation with a 0.1 time step/%
1	25.335	0.67
0.5	25.384	0.48
0.25	25.500	0.03
0.1	25.507	0.00

Table 3 Model key parameters［17-18］

Boundary chloride ion concentration/%	Chloride diffusion coefficient/（m²·s^-1）	Porosity	Penetration/m²	Pressure/MPa	Exposure time/d
0.5	5.0×10^-12	0.11	3.6×10^-19	0.05/0.30	6/72

Fig.3 Comparison and error analysis of chloride ion concentration between experiments and numerical simulations

Fig.4 Cloud diagrams of chloride ion concentration distribution under unpressure and constant water pressure （0.30 MPa）

Fig.5 Distribution curves of chloride ions along depth under unpressure and constant water pressure （0.30 MPa）

Fig.6 Chloride ion concentration variation curves at measurement point under unpressure and constant water pressure （0.30 MPa）

Fig.7 Chloride diffusion trajectories under unpressure and constant water pressure （1.00 MPa）

Fig.8 Influence of pressure and ITZ on chloride ion concentration at measurement points

Fig.9 Cloud diagrams of chloride ion concentration distribution at different exposure time

Fig.10 Distribution curves of chloride ion concentration along depth at different exposure time

Fig.11 Cloud diagrams of chloride ion concentration distribution under different water pressures

Fig.12 Distribution curves of chloride ions along depth under different water pressures

Fig.13 Chloride ion concentration curves of measurement point under different water pressures

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