Micro-CT Analysis Applied to Lime Mortars for Damage Assessment Due to Accelerated Weathering

Weathering of construction materials is one of the main causes for building deterioration and failure. Amongst some of the most important factors contributing to this outcome is the presence of salts in the system and their crystallization/dissolution behavior during ageing. These salts occupy the space within the pore network of the materials and manifests itself only once some damage has already been caused. It is of outmost importance to develop efficient methods for testing, evaluating and development of damage prediction of this phenomena to obtain better and more durable materials. This research intends to employ two contamination regimes to test the durability of the mortar mixtures. X-ray micro-computed tomography will be utilized as main tool for the assessment of damage due to salt crystallization on lime-based mortars in a non-destructive manner.