Assessing the Impacts of Treated Wastewater on the Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Concrete

This study evaluates the impacts of treated wastewater (TWW) as a sustainable alternative source of water for mixing and curing purposes in concrete production. Through a comprehensive experimental approach, various tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical and durability properties of fresh and hardened concrete. Therefore, initial, and final setting times of cement paste, workability of concrete, compressive and tensile strengths, water absorption, porosity, pH value, and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests were performed on different concrete groups that were casted and cured with different water types. Additionally, the half-cell potential test to determine the corrosion potential and, even, the accelerated corrosion test to assess the corrosion resistance of reinforced concrete have been conducted. It was detected that the utilization of TWW had a negligible impact on the workability of concrete and did not significantly affect the initial and final setting time of cement paste. Moreover, a significant improvement in the compressive strength of concrete specimens incorporating TWW was observed during the extended curing period of six months. Additionally, a comparable trend in the splitting tensile strength of the concrete specimens was evident. Although utilizing TWW slightly reduced the porosity and water absorption, the corrosion rate was found to be 24% higher when compared with the control specimen. Additionally, for different time intervals up to 4 months the half-cell potential test results constantly exhibited, higher potential difference in the specimens produced with TWW compared to the control specimen. Therefore, based on the results of this study the feasibility of utilizing TWW in concrete production has been confirmed by ASTM standards. However, when dealing with reinforced concrete, it is important to exercise caution. Keywords: Mixing Water, Curing Water, Treated Wastewater, Reclaimed Water, Compressive Strength, Durability, Corrosion Test.