ABSTRACT
Abstract Specimens from various sidewalks in the City of Quebec (where the winter conditions are very severe) were tested for deicer sal t scaling resistance using the ASTM C 672 test procedure. Tw o series of concretes were selected fo r the tests: a first serie s of six concretes showing little scaling after six winters and a second serie s of four concretes showing severe scaling damage after onl y three winters of exposure. I n addition to these field concretes, three similar mixtures were prepared i n the laboratory and tested for scaling resistance to analyze the influence of the drying period before the tests. The results show that deicer salt scaling test procedures such as that described in ASTM C 672 are not too severe and allow to distinguish with a fair degree of reliability between those concretes which are scaling resistant an d those which are not. The results furthe r show that drying at 40° C during 14 days before th e freezing an d thawing cycles i s most probably not a condition which is representative o f field conditions, and that such a drying procedure shoul d not be used before performing deicer salt scaling tests. Keyword: Deicers, scaling, frost durability, test procedures, fiel d behavior .
