A Gravitational Procedure to Measure the Diffusion Coefficient of Water in Porous Materials: A Case Study on Concrete

Abstract

A new procedure is presented with which the diffusion coefficient of water in partially saturated porous materials can be measured. The first step in the procedure is the creation of a non-equilibrium situation inside a sample by placing it into a centrifuge. In the second step, the mass of the sample is measured by hanging it from two cables, each connected to a balance. The comparison of the time evolutions of the measured masses and the masses as predicted using Fick's second law gives the diffusion coefficient.

Keywords:

• Concrete
• Diffusion
• Diffusion coefficient
• Porous materials
• Water transport

Notes

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