Effect of Rain water to Concrete Strentch

Chemical Controls of Water Composition

The acidity of water is gauged by its pH , which is a measure of the
concentration of the hydrogen ion (H + ) in the solution according to the
relationship pH = −log(H + ). The higher the concentration of H + in the water,
the lower its pH, and the greater its acidity. Acid waters have a pH less than
7 (neutral pH is 7), with the most acid waters at pH 1 or less. Basic (alkaline)
waters have a pH greater than 7, with the most basic waters at pH 14.

Natural Acidity.
Natural rainwater is slightly acidic because it interacts with carbon dioxide
(CO 2 ) in the atmosphere, forming carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3 ). Some of the
carbonic acid in the rainwater then breaks down (dissociates), producing
more hydrogen ion and bicarbonate ion, both of which are dissolved in the
rainwater.
The two reactions in rainwater are as follows:
H 2 O + CO 2 = H 2 CO 3

H 2 CO 3 = HCO 3
−
+H +

The hydrogen ion produced by the second reaction lowers the pH of rain-
water. How far it lowers it from the neutral value of 7 depends on how much
carbonic acid is in the water as a result of the first reaction, although a limit
exists as defined by the equilibrium constant of the reaction. The
concentration of carbonic acid, then, depends on how much carbon dioxide is
in the atmosphere. In other words, when more CO 2 is present, more acid is
produced, and the water becomes more acidic.
The Earth's atmosphere presently contains, on average, approximately 0.3
percent carbon dioxide. Using this value in the two reactions above,
hydrologists can calculate that the concentration of H + in rainwater at
chemical equilibrium is 10 −5.7 moles per liter. This concentration is
equivalent to a pH of 5.7, a calculated figure that is close to many actual
measurements of rainwater. Because pH 7 is neutral, pH 5.7 is considered
slightly acidic. Although natural rain is slightly acidic owing to the natural
reaction between rainwater and atmospheric carbon dioxide, the term
"acid rain" usually is applied to rainwater that has been made
unnaturally acidic by human-caused emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
Reference : http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/En-Ge/Fresh-Water-Natural-
Composition-of.html
Water
Combining water with a cementitious material forms a cement paste by the
process of hydration. The cement paste glues the aggregate together, fills
voids within it, and allows it to flow more freely.
Less water in the cement paste will yield a stronger, more durable concrete;
more water will give an freer-flowing concrete with a higher slump.[11]
Impure water used to make concrete can cause problems when setting or in
causing premature failure of the structure.
Reference : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete

Deterioration of concrete structures by acid deposition — an

assessment of the role of rainwater on deterioration by laboratory
and field exposure experiments using mortar specimens
Deterioration of concrete structures caused by acid deposition was
investigated by laboratory and field exposure of portland cement mortar
specimens to acid deposition. Laboratory exposure experiment showed that
the dissolved amount of calcium hydrates, which were the major
components in mortar, increased with the increase in the acidity of simulated
acid rain solution and the decrease in the flow rate. There was little
difference in their amount among different temperature treatments after
each exposure to the solution with the same acidity, namely left at room
temperature, heated at 70°C, and cooled at −2°C. The neutralization
progressed more deeply under the heated and cooled condition and was
accelerated by even acid rain with pH 4.7 during a long period (90 exposure
cycles, which correspond to the rainfall amount of 15 years in Japan). A field
exposure experiment for two years indicated that the carbonation of calcium
hydrates and the formation of other corrosion products such as chloride,
nitrate, and sulfate were limited to the surface of mortar specimens. The
neutralization progressed more deeply in mortar specimens sheltered from
rainwater than in those washed by rainwater.