Determination of the size characteristics of the airvoids within the harderned concrete via image analysis

Abstract

The system of airvoids appearing within the hardened structure of concrete plays a crucial role and directly influences the mechanical behavior of concrete under various types of loads. Hence, determining the quantitative parameters of the airvoids’ system within concrete is essential for numerical simulations and experimental investigations of concrete members and structures. However, quantifying the airvoid structure in the hardened state of concrete is often much more challenging than in its fresh state. The present study proposes a relatively simple and effective image preparation and processing procedure to quantify the characteristic size parameters of the airvoid structure within hardened concrete. Based on two statistical tests, including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S test) and Anderson-Darling (A-D test), this paper also demonstrates the relevance of the Weibull distribution function in interpreting the size distribution of the airvoids in hardened concrete.

Keywords: Airvoid; pore structure; concrete; probability distribution; size distribution.