Studying the onset of frost deterioration in concrete using ToF neutron radiography

We plan an in situ experiment on temperature cycling of water-saturated cement samples to study the onset and early evolution of frost deterioration in concrete. Frost deterioration is caused by water freezing in the cement paste rather than in the pore structure of the cement, which reduces the structural integrity of the concrete. We will image this process using ToF neutron radiography and a bespoke freezing cell. By analyzing the transmission spectrum we expect to be able to separate ice from supercooled liquid water during freezing. This will provide new insights into the mechanisms responsible for frost deterioration.