The effect of petroleum products on the behaviour of three types of concrete

The effects of exposure to petroleum products (diesel and petrol) on the properties of normal-strength concrete (NSC), reactive powder concrete (RPC) and high-strength concrete (HSC) were investigated. Reductions in the mechanical characteristics of RPC specimens after exposure to petroleum products for 90 days were insignificant, while significant deterioration occurred in NSC and HSC specimens. Significantly, after exposing all the specimens to petroleum products for 180 days, all the mechanical characteristics of RPC, NSC and HSC specimens deteriorated. In contrast to NSC, oil products were unable to fully infiltrate the innermost part of RPC due to the presence of silica fume, which enhances concrete durability by forming a secondary gel and increasing its density by reducing pores. In addition, a very small amount of water is used in RPC. The impacts of diesel on the concrete characteristics were greater than the effects of petrol. The rates of increase in tensile strength, compressive strength, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity of the specimens increased gradually as the period of exposure to air was increased. In contrast, the rates of decrease in compressive and tensile strength gradually decreased with an increase in the immersion time in oil products.