Prediction of freezing and thawing durability of concrete paving blocks

This paper presents experimental results regarding freezing and thawing performance of various concrete paving blocks using a standard accelerated laboratory test, ASTM C 666, procedure A. A total of 124 paving blocks having eight different mixture proportions, prepared at optimum moisture content and fabricated at a commercial plant site, were used. The parameters investigated included bulk characteristics (density, absorption, and compressive and splitting tensile strength) and mass loss under various freezing and thawing cycles. It was found that ASTM C 666 can be utilized successfully to evaluate the relative performance of various paving blocks. Mass loss correlated well with the cement content (aggregate-cement ratio) and the bulk properties of the paving block samples. Minimum cement content, instead of minimum strength or maximum absorption, is the most suitable requirement for ensuring a reasonable freezing and thawing resistance for concrete paving blocks.