Water/Cement (W/C) ratio is a very important parameter affecting the strength and durability of concrete. At the present time, there are no ASTM methods for determining W/C ratio of concrete structures after the production period. Existing techniques involving thin section standard density comparative associations using light optical microscopy and rely on visual comparisons using standards and require highly trained personnel to produce reliable data. This has led to the exploration of other methods utilizing automated procedures which can offer a precise and rapid measurement of W/C ratio. This paper discusses methods of determining W/C ratio using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) backscattered electron image (BEI) intensity signal and x-ray computer tomography.
