scope:

This Technical Specification describes the testing of the freeze-thaw scaling resistance of concrete both with water and with sodium chloride solution. It can be used either to compare new constituents or new concrete compositions against a constituent or a concrete composition that is known to give adequate performance in the local environment or to assess the test results against some absolute numerical values based on local experiences.

Extrapolation of test results to assess different concretes, i.e. new constituents or new concrete compositions, requires an expert evaluation.

NOTE In some cases the test methods may not be suitable for testing special concretes e.g. high strength concrete or permeable concrete. In these cases the result needs to be treated with caution. Also, the testing methods included in this document may not identify aggregates that are subject to occasional 'pop-outs'.

There is no established correlation between the results obtained by the three test methods. All tests will clearly identify poor and good behaviour, but they differ in their assessment of marginal behaviour. The application of different acceptance limits for test results enables assessment for different degrees of exposure severity. In case of justified modifications of the test parameters, precautions might apply. Some alternative applications are described in Annex A.