**5. Conclusions**

"Salt weathering" on concrete by sulfates is a deceptive and misleading phenomenon. In this paper, according to the comparison between the basic principles of salt weathering on porous materials and the abnormal appearances of "salt weathering" on concrete, the conclusion can be drawn that the salt weathering distress is not the major reason causing concrete damage when partially exposed to the sulfate environment. Chemical sulfate attack occurring in a high concentration pore solution is more likely the degradation mechanism for concrete deterioration similar to the full immersion cases of sulfate attack on concrete.
