Is there just one agreed upon way to test water vapor transfer through concrete?
No. There are physical methods and electronic methods. If feasible a portion of concrete is removed weighed, dried, and weighed with the difference (under controlled conditions) being the water contained in the concrete. A known weight of a desiccant can be sealed onto the concrete enclosed in a known area for a know time to determine the amount of water vapor that was collected over time over the area. Humidity can be measure under an impermeable barrier sheet sealed to the concrete surface to assess water vapor build up. Electrical resistance changes can be measured between two pins to relate relative moisture present in the concrete. While it is difficult to get direct correlation between measurements, these techniques do provide guidance and do agree upon trends observed.
Related Questions
- My concrete was poured over a plastic vapor shield…shouldn’t that stop water or moisture from getting up into my floor?
- Why should one coat concrete and masonry facades with a breathable (water vapor permeable) coating system?
- Is there just one agreed upon way to test water vapor transfer through concrete?
