Study of the Structure and Properties of Electrical Sand Concrete under Prolonged Exposure to Sulfate Environment

Destructive processes accompanying sulfate corrosion of concrete significantly affect the durability of products and structures based on Portland cement. In the presented study, the long-term effect of sulfate corrosion on the electrical properties of electrically conductive sand concrete was studied. In the course of the study, the following were tested: an electrically conductive composition and a control composition based on plain Portland cement. The analysis of changes in the mineral composition of the samples over the course of time in an aggressive solution was carried out. The results show that during the exposure period of the samples from 28 to 224 days, the absorption of sulfate ions slows down and averages 26% for the control composition and 29% for the electrically conductive composition, of the total volume of absorbed sulfates. At the same time, the course of sulfate corrosion was accompanied by a 6% increase in the density of samples of both compositions, as well as a cyclic change in mechanical strength within 15%. In its turn, the key indicator of the electrical characteristics of the compositions—electrical resistivity—tended to increase throughout the experiment. These results can be recommended for assessing the durability and the nature of the operating conditions of electrical concretes used in aggressive environments.