The dissolution of CH was found to have a significant effect on the diffusivity of hydrated cement pastes. The increase in diffusivity due to leaching is seen to be a factor of 20 or more, depending on the initial w/c ratio and the degree of hydration achieved prior to leaching.
The increase in diffusivity is seen to be much more dramatic for the lower w/c ratio systems, due mainly to the re-percolation of the capillary pore network during the leaching of the CH.
Degradation profiles computed using the chemical damage equation provided by the NIST model and STADIUM compare favorably to experimental values.