Degradation of pore structure and microstructures in hardened cement paste subjected to flexural loading and wet-dry cycles in sea water

Hardened cement paste was subjected to the flexural loading and wet-dry cycles in sea water. The degradation of microstructures was obtained using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) analysis was carried to analyze the local composition. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (Poremaster GT-60) was used to analyze the degradation of pore structures. The experimental results show that the synergistic action of the flexural loading, wet-dry cycles and sea water leads to significant deterioration of hardened cement paste. The degradation of microstructures in the tensile region is more serious than that in the compressive region. The flexural loading and wet-dry cycles accelerate the chemical attack of sea water.