A capillary action test for the investigation of adhesion in repair technology

When repair material is laid down on a concrete substrate, the porosity of concrete allows it to penetrate the substrate, increasing the probability of physical interactions, and subsequently increasing adhesion. Water absorption by immersion or usual capillary action tests do not provide enough information to understand what happens when contact occurs between the concrete substrate and the cement slurries used as a bonding layer. An adaptation of the capillary action test is presented; this is based on a continuous measurement of mass change of the sample. Major differences according to the type of surface preparation are pointed out: absorption rates as well as mass changes are greater for polished concrete substrates than for sandblasted ones. Centrifuged solutions of cement slurries modified with plasticizers and superplasticizers are used for water replacement in the adapted capillary action test. Results clearly show the influence of these admixtures: the greater the adhesion tension, the greater the wetting of the concrete substrate. Determination of these thermodynamic characteristics and performance of an adapted capillary action test provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of interface creation and promotion of adhesion.