Rapid method for measuring the acid-soluble chloride content of powdered concrete samples

A rapid alternative method has been developed to the standard ASTM and AASHTO test methods for determining the acid-soluble chloride content of concrete. The method used an acidic solution containing a deforming agent to digest the collected powdered chloride samples. A stabilizing solution is used in place of a temperature correlation factor for the direct read of the solution's chloride concentration with a specific ion electrode. Concrete sampled from precontaminated specimens cast in the laboratory and powdered samples collected from concrete bridges in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida were tested in the laboratory. A linear relationship was developed between the rapid and the ASTM standard method which may be used to predict the standard equivalent acid-soluble chloride content from the rapid test results. The proposed standard rapid test procedure is presented in the Appendix.