Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Prevention of Moisture Rise in Capillary Systems by Electrical Short Circuiting

Abstract

A capillary rise-evaporation cycle can feed dissolved salts to the top of the capillary zone. Concentration of salt at the top superimposes an osmotic head on the capillary head. The thermodynamics of irreversible processes explains electro-osmotic damp proofing by showing how electrical short circuiting may suppress moisture rise in these conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Benster, N. A., thesis, Univ. Manchester. (1968).

  2. Veder, C., Symp. on Effects of Heat and Temperature on the Engineering Properties of Soils, HRB Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (1969).

  3. Lipcsey, M., Biczok, I., and Horvath, Z., Electro-Osmotic Damp-proofing, British Patent Application No. 16.347/60.

  4. Holmes, W. J., Specification of Electro-osmotic Damp-proofing, Ref. E.O.1.8.1962, Rentokil Laboratories, Ltd, London (1962).

  5. Lipcsey, M., RILEM/CIB Symp., Pap. No. 2–17, Helsinki (August 1965).

  6. Dehler, E., RILEM/CIB Symp., Pap.No. 2–23, Helsinki (August 1965).

  7. Glasstone, S., Textbook of Physical Chemistry, 1220 (Van Nostrand, New York, 1946).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lorenz, P., J. Phys. Chem., 57, 775 (1952).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Schmid, G. M., J. Electrochem. Soc., 109, 852 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Rising Damp in Walls, British Building Research Station, Digest No. 27.

  11. Kedem, O., and Katchalsky, A., Trans. Farad. Soc., 59, 1918 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Onsager, L., Phys. Rev., 38, 2265 (1931).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GRAY, D. Prevention of Moisture Rise in Capillary Systems by Electrical Short Circuiting. Nature 223, 371–374 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/223371a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/223371a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing