FROST RESISTANCE OF CERAMIC FLOOR TILES: A PRENORMATIVE STUDY

A model is proposed that explains the mechanism of frost damage experienced by ceramic floor tiles during successive frost-thawing cycles. It was assumed that the macroscopic flaws (spalling) observed were the result of stresses resulting from the laying of the floor rather than the local stresses generated by ice formation in the pores. This assumption is supported by the results of static and cyclic fatigue tests as well as tests performed on tiles embedded in concrete. Volume expansion associated with ice formation, even if deleterious at the micronic scale, is not able to induce the characteristic flaws observed on outdoor surfaces. 4 refs.