Relationship between concrete resistivity and the indication of chloride penetration by ASTM C1202 in concrete made with OPC and admixed with slag and/or limestone powder

One of the most widespread methods to assess concrete ability to resist chloride penetration is the one described in ASTM C1202. This method consists in the determination of the amount of electrical charge that passes through a concrete sample in a 6 h period, whereas an electrical potential is applied. This highly empirical method has received some criticism due to its lack of representativeness of the actual process of chloride ingress into concrete. Moreover, the result of the test is a qualitative value that cannot be used for service life design based on performance. In this sense, even more practical methods can be considered with the same aim. This paper shows experimental results from the application of the method in ASTM C1202 and the measurement of resistivity in both conventional concrete and concrete admixed with slag and/or limestone powder, as these constituents significantly affect conductivity. A correlation between results from both methods is made, and some considerations are presented regarding the practicality of applying one method or the other in relation with the information they provide. The results reveal that the correlation between resistivity and results from ASTM C1202 is independent from the composition of the concrete