Uptake of water (and therefore ions) by unsaturated, hardened concrete may be characterised by the sorptivity. This is a simple parameter to determine and is increasingly being used as a measure of concrete resistance to exposure in aggressive environments. The complete process is described by a nonlinear diffusion equation, with the hydraulic diffusivity a strongly nonlinear function of the degree of saturation of the concrete. Accurate analytical approximations to the solution of this equation, as well as numerical solutions for general conditions, exist when the diffusivity function is known. Unfortunately, it is not an easy function to determine, requiring accurate information on the water penetration profile. A simple alternative which estimates the diffusivity from sorptivity and porosity measurements is presented for an assumed exponential dependence of diffusivity on water saturation. Predicted water penetration profiles corresponding to this estimated diffusivity are shown to be accurate by comparison with published experimental results. RESUMg

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