Impact of Sulfuric Acidic Environment on Deterioration of Conventional and Ceramic Concrete

Abstract

The durability of concrete was evaluated for both the control mix and the mix containing 30% ceramic tile waste as a replacement for fine aggregate. The assessment was carried out in a 5% sulfuric acid environment for a period of 105 days, considering the change in concrete mass and technical examination through visual inspection. After five weeks of immersion, the control concrete exhibited a 1.459% increase in mass change, while the ceramic concrete showed a comparatively lower increase of 0.66% under the same conditions. After fifteen weeks of immersion in a sulfuric acid environment, the control concrete exhibited a 16.49% reduction in mass, whereas the ceramic concrete showed a comparatively lower reduction of 5.33% under the same conditions. The superior performance of ceramic concrete over control concrete in the sulfuric environment can be attributed to its structural pores and the higher density of its microstructure.