Historically concrete has been specified and placed using prescriptive specifications. As a result DOT specifications for concrete pavements and bridge decks typically contain a specified compressive strength and prescriptive limitations on water-to-cement ratios, minimum cement contents, and supplementary cementitious addition rates. This project will investigate whether an alternative to these prescriptive limits can be developed. With the support of the FHWA, states and agencies have begun the shift from prescriptive specifications to end result and performance based specifications. Recently completed projects using performance related specifications demonstrate great potential for this approach. Performance specifications provide contractors with incentives to improve their mixture designs and construction practices by linking the properties of the concrete with the anticipated performance and value of the constructed facility. Although several states have begun experimenting with performance specifications, rapid advancement is limited by a lack of confidence in testing procedures that can evaluate concrete durability in a rapid, consistent basis for mixture qualification or use in quality control practices. One deficiency is the lack of a test procedure to evaluate the permeability (or transport) properties of concrete. This project will meet this need by evaluating existing tests to evaluate the permeability (or more broadly a materials resistance to fluid and ion transport) test methods that can be used with performance based/related specifications. In addition, new or revised testing procedures will be developed to enable states and agencies to obtain rapid, reliable material properties for the concrete they are using that are related to long-term performance. A set of guidelines will also be developed that will enable states and agencies to implement these test procedures and to use these test procedures in the specification process.

The primary purpose of this project is to develop a test procedure that directly evaluates the permeability (transport properties) of concrete and relates these to anticipated performance with the use of exposure conditions. This consists of the following distinct objectives: o Evaluation of existing permeability (transport) test procedures. o Development of new, or improvement of existing test, procedures to evaluate permeability (transport) properties of concrete. o Correlation between permeability (transport) properties and measured material response to existing durability tests. o Develop guidelines to relate permeability, exposure conditions, and field performance for use in specifications and quality control processes.

This work will consist of six main phases: Phase I: Literature Review of Concrete Permeability (Transport) Test Procedures and Models that Link Tests with Performance Phase II: Evaluate Promising Concrete Permeability (Transport) Tests and Recommend Procedures for Further Use Phase III: Develop New or Improve Existing Permeability (Transport) Testing Procedures. Develop Protocols to Use these Tests, Evaluate the Precision and Bias of these Tests Phase IV: Correlate Permeability (Transport) Tests with Laboratory Tests that Evaluate Durability Phase V: Develop Performance Criteria Guidelines that Relate Permeability (Transport) Tests with Exposure Conditions and Performance Phase VI: Preparation of Technology Transfer and Educational Materials

This study will provide states and agencies with a testing procedure(s) to evaluate the permeability (transport) properties of concrete. These test procedures can be used to relate the quality of concrete with how it may perform in the field under specific exposure conditions. Agencies and states will benefit from a process that correlates `permeability performance tests¿ with `exposure conditions¿ to develop a performance based specification. The benefit of performing this study through a multi-state pooled fund effort resides in the synergistic efforts in test development, evaluation of results, and experiences of each state and agency. Participating states to commit $25,000 each year for the first three years and $12,000 for the fourth year. It is anticipated that nine states will be involved in this study.