Date Approved

7-6-2026

Embargo Period

7-6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. Civil Engineering

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

College

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

Advisor

Gilson Lomboy, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

Adriana C. Trias Blanco, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Yogiraj Sargam, Ph.D.

Keywords

cold-weather concrete;CO₂-cured concrete;CO₂-infused concrete;durability;early-age carbonation;microstructural analysis

Disciplines

Civil and Environmental Engineering | Civil Engineering | Engineering

Abstract

This research aims to advance the understanding of durability and transport behavior in emerging CO₂-cured and cold-weather concrete technologies. Limited work has examined long-term durability indicators such as permeability, resistivity, and pore connectivity in these types of concrete. To bridge this gap, the study evaluates transport properties alongside microstructural changes that govern the progression of hydration and the evolution of pore structure. This study measures transport properties, determines correlations between resistivity and fluid ingress, and analyzes the evolution of pore structure. To achieve this, the experimental program evaluated three concrete mixtures for external CO₂ exposure, nine for dry ice infusion, and three for cold-weather conditions. Testing methods included compressive strength, water sorptivity, water permeability, porosity, isothermal calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Regression analyses were then conducted to relate transport properties to electrical resistivity, providing potential simplified alternatives for rapid durability assessments. Results show that early-age external CO₂ curing preserves concrete integrity and is optimized at a 24-hour exposure for lower water-to-cement (w/c) mixtures, though its localized surface crust artificially dominates standard electrical resistivity readings. Alternatively, internal CO₂ addition via dry-ice infusion avoids external diffusion limits and optimizes matrix refinement when a low 0.05% dosage is paired with a low w/c ratio. However, while lower w/c internal mixtures achieve a genuinely dense pore structure, higher 0.50 w/c mixtures suffer from pore coarsening because their weaker matrices cannot withstand the rapid exothermic internal reactions. In cold-weather concrete, the Additive-Based Frost Protection (ABFP) system maintains matrix stability except during a critical vulnerability window at the initial set under severe subzero exposure. Early-age freezing at mild temperatures induces discontinuous microcracking and cryo-concentration, which artificially elevate electrical resistivity, whereas severe cryogenic shock at -40°C reverses this trend by generating highly interconnected microcrack networks. Ultimately, these findings support more sustainable construction practices, lower energy consumption, and encourage wider industrial adoption of these emerging concrete technologies.

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