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CORROSION PROPAGATION OF STEEL REBAR EMBEDDED IN MARINE

STRUCTURES PREPARED WITH BINARY BLENDED CONCRETE CONTAINING
SLAG

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 Proceedings of MARTEC 2022
The International Conference on Marine Technology
21-22 December 2022, BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh

CORROSION PROPAGATION OF STEEL REBAR EMBEDDED IN MARINE

STRUCTURES PREPARED WITH BINARY BLENDED CONCRETE CONTAINING
SLAG
Kazi Naimul Hoque1 and Francisco Presuel-Moreno2
1 2
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering,
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Dania Beach, Florida, USA
Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh E-mail: fpresuel@fau.edu
E-mail: kazinaim@name.buet.ac.bd

ABSTRACT
This research was conducted to better understand the corrosion propagation stage of steel rebar embedded in
marine structures prepared with binary blended concrete exposed to high humidity environment. Specimens with
binary (Slag (SL)) concrete mix (30.5 cm x 12.7 cm x 7.6 cm) were prepared. A w/cm ratio of 0.41 was used to make
this concrete mixture. The specimens were reinforced with #3 rebar and have a 0.75 cm concrete cover. Different size
reservoirs were installed on the top surface of the specimens. The reservoir was filled with NaCl solution (10% by
weight). Electromigration, which accelerated chloride transport and lasted for a week to a few months, was used. The
influence of rebar length under the reservoir for slag containing binary concrete mixes was investigated. This study
describes corrosion current monitoring via linear polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy measurements. The solution resistance and rebar potential were monitored for over 600 days. In some
instances, corrosion initiated several weeks after the electromigration was removed. Based on the results of the
experiments, it was observed that the corrosion current values were considerably influenced by the length of the
solution reservoirs.
Keywords: Corrosion propagation, Reservoir length, Slag, Electromigration, Corrosion current.

1. INTRODUCTION

In temperate, marine, and high humidity environments,
corrosion of steel reinforcement is one of the main
degrading mechanisms for reinforced concrete (RC)
constructions. If left unabated, it accelerates the
deterioration of RC structures and may have several
interrelated negative consequences, such as loss of steel
cross-section area, deterioration of the bond at the steel-
concrete interface, and eventually a reduced service life
for the RC structure. Although corrosion of steel in RC
structures can be caused mainly by either ingress of
carbon dioxide (carbonation-induced) or chlorides
(chloride-induced), the latter is the chief cause of steel
corrosion in RC structures. Whether steel corrosion is
caused by carbonation or chloride, the natural rate of
growth is typically slow, making it challenging to get
results that are useful for making decisions. The fact that
there is limited study and data on the initiation and
propagation of corrosion [1-5], makes the situation
worse. These studies show that in RC structures
undergoing natural corrosion, considerable corrosion-
induced damage requires extended time periods.
It has been shown from previous studies that the use of
cement replacement materials such as fly ash, silica
fume, blast-furnace slag, etc. may reduce greatly the
probability of steel corrosion as well as the permeability
of concrete [6-10]. Especially, silica fume is known to
considerably increase the durability of concrete. Fly ash
and/or slag are widely used as substitutes in Korea, even
though its cost is so high, and its workability is so low.
Torii [11] reported that resistance to chloride penetration
of 50% ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS)
concrete was almost the same as that of 10% silica fume
concrete.
Nowadays, it is common practice to employ
accelerated corrosion tests (RC) to simulate the steel
corrosion process and anticipate corrosion-induced
damage, such as loss of steel-concrete interface bond,
cover cracking, spalling, and loss of member stiffness [5,
12-17]. Steel corrosion that occurs more quickly than it
does naturally is referred to as "accelerated corrosion" of
steel (in concrete). The effects of accelerated corrosion,
such as depassivation and/or corrosion-induced damage,
can be seen faster than with natural corrosion. The time
to corrosion initiation and corrosion-induced damage in
RC structures, as well as the effect on variables like
deformation behavior, ductility, bond strength, and

260

modes of failure, have all been studied using accelerated
corrosion techniques in the past [18-22]. Due to the need
to assess and account for the corrosion propagation phase
in the service life of corrosion-affected RC structures, it
is now necessary to conduct research and develop
methods that can reduce the initiation phase while closely
simulating natural corrosion propagation, resulting in the
least amount of corrosion-induced damage.
In this investigation, blast-furnace slag was used to
replace 50% of the cement during the preparation of the
concrete mix. The length of the anode was adjusted using
the size of the solution reservoir. Electromigration
accelerated the chloride's transport into the concrete. The
method was developed using results from previous
research [23]. After a few weeks or months, the rebar
typically starts to corrode. The corrosion progression
stage was observed using measurements of
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and linear
polarization resistance. The solution resistance, rebar
potential, and corrosion current measurements were
recorded for about 600 days.
2. EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS
2.1 Concrete mixes, casting and curing of
specimens
Reinforced concrete samples (binary mix with Slag
(SL)) were prepared in April 2016. These concrete
samples were prepared with a w/cm ratio of 0.41. The
concrete mix is detailed in Table 1. Appendix 2 from
reference [24] contains detail of the concrete mix.
Rebar segments were cut to size. The rebars were wired
brushed. The reinforcement was cleaned with hexane
prior to casting to remove any grease. The dimensions of
these single rebar specimens were 30.5 cm x 12.7 cm x
7.6 cm (12 in x 5 in x 3 in). These single rebar sections
had a radius of 0.47 cm with #3 rebars. Eleven single
rebar specimens were prepared with a concrete cover of
0.75 cm (0.3 in). Before casting the concrete, each rebar
was tapped on one end and a stainless-steel screw was
placed (i.e., each rebar was drilled and tapped). The goal
of this process was to establish an electrical contact for
monitoring corrosion.
At casting, all specimens had stainless steel (or titanium
mix metal oxide 'TiMMO') mesh embedded on the top
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Proceedings of MARTEC 2022
side. During the experiment, this surface became the
bottom surface. The mesh was used to accelerate chloride
transport. Meshes ranged in length from 2.5 cm to 17.5
cm and were about 3 cm wide and were positioned along
the central portion of the rebar. The specimens were
made at the Florida Department of Transportation's State
Materials Office (SMO). The molds were removed after
one day and brought to the fog room for curing.
2.2 Specimen setup preparation for
electromigration
After casting, the samples were maintained for roughly
a month in a high humidity environment at FDOT-SMO.
These samples were moved to FAU SeaTech campus for
the next phase of the experiment around the end of May
2016. Upon arrival at FAU-SeaTech, these samples were
stored in a high humidity chamber until the solution
reservoir was installed. The samples were subsequently
transferred to the laboratory environment (65% RH and
21°C) where the solution reservoir for ponding was
installed.
Using marine adhesives, a plastic reservoir was affixed
to the top surface (which served as the mold surface
during casting). The reservoir was installed at least 40
days after casting. NaCl solution was poured into the
reservoir (10% by weight). The goal was to have
different corroding lengths. Rather, the area where
corrosion could initiate was constrained by the reservoir
length. On the top surface of the concrete samples, each
reservoir was centered along the rebar length. The length
of the ponding ranged from 2.5 cm to 17.5 cm. Prior to
filling each reservoir with solution, the samples were
kept in high humidity for 3 to 7 days. Electrodes
(stainless steel wire mesh or TiMMO mesh) with similar
sizes that those embedded were placed on the top surface
inside the solution reservoir.
The samples were kept in transparent plastic
containers. Each specimen was partially submerged in a
saturated calcium hydroxide solution, with about one
cm of the concrete specimen immersed. Each sample was
placed on top of a white plastic mesh (acrylic perforated).
This procedure was used to reduce the amount of
leaching from the concrete.

2.3 Electromigration
A potential hold between the top and bottom mesh was
established using a power supply. An electric field then
drives the chlorides in the solution above each rebar into
the concrete and in the direction of the embedded rebar.
The electrode in the NaCl solution was connected to the
negative terminal of the power source. Each specimen's
embedded mesh had a connection to the positive terminal
of the power supply. An acrylic mesh was placed into the
solution reservoir to reduce direct contact between the
titanium mix metal oxide wire mesh and the concrete
surface. Figure 1 depicts the experimental setup used for
electromigration.
Figure 1. Experimental setup used for electromigration
Table 2 shows how each sample was labeled. This table
also includes the sample name/ID, reservoir length, and
the start and end dates of electromigration. There is also
a column that displays the calculated Ampere-hour
applied.
On each specimen, electromigration was carried out. At
first, a 9 V applied potential was used. A potential greater
than +2V was found when rebar potential was measured
in relation to a saturated calomel reference electrode
(SCE) while the electric field was still on. After 7 days,
the applied potential was reduced to 3 V. The amount of
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Proceedings of MARTEC 2022
current applied when a specific voltage was supplied for
several days at a time was calculated using the delta
potential across a 100-ohm resistor. During the period
that the system was disconnected, the rebar potential was
monitored in relation to a saturated calomel reference
electrode. Despite not being connected, the rebars were
polarized by an ionic current produced by the applied
electric field. After monitoring the rebar potential for a
while (often up to two hours) with the system
disconnected, the applied potential was restarted if the
previous rebar potential measurement showed that
corrosion had not occurred. Until the specimen showed
an off-rebar potential (a value of -0.150 Vsce or more
negative), which may indicate the beginning of corrosion
in that embedded rebar, the electromigration process was
continued. A potential value of -0.150 Vsce (~ -0.220 V
vs. CSE) has been reported [23] as a value at which
corrosion initiates.
3. ELECTROCHEMICAL MEASUREMENTS
During the stage of corrosion propagation, the potential
of the rebar was continuously observed using a saturated
calomel reference electrode. The same type of electrode
used to detect the rebar potential during the
electromigration stage was employed to determine it in
the samples selected for modest anodic polarization. The
solution resistance (Rs) and corrected polarization
resistance (Rc) were measured at least two days after the
system was disconnected (turned off). The Rc value is
equal to the apparent polarization resistance minus the
solution resistance.
Two different measurements were conducted. From
June 2016, EIS and LPR measurements were performed.
The frequency range of the EIS test was 10 kHz to 1 Hz,
and the impedance magnitude chosen was 54.51 Hz,
which was chosen to be the solution resistance (Rs). The
linear polarization test ranged from 10 mV below the
open circuit potential to 1 mV above it. After around six
months, the linear polarization test was conducted from
the open circuit potential to 8 mV below it. The scan rate
was selected to be either 0.1 mV/s or 0.05 mV/s.
During the electromigration period (but after the
system had been turned off for at least two days), the
rebar potential, EIS, and LPR measurements were
performed. Once the electromigration was suspended,
these measurements were performed once a month. Rc
values obtained from LPR/EIS readings were converted
to corrosion current (Icorr) where the corroding area is
unknown. The Icorr was determined using the Stern-
Geary equation i.e., Icorr = B/Rp where Rp is the
polarization resistance (defined previously as Rc) and B
is the Stern-Geary coefficient that ranged from 13 to 52

mV depending on the steel's corrosion condition (i.e.,
passive, or active). Most of the research [25, 26] have
determined and used values of 26 mV for corroding
(active) steel in concrete and 52 mV for passive steel.
Therefore, in this study, a value of 26 mV was selected.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Day zero in the following figure refers to the addition
of the solution to the installed solution reservoir, not the
age of the specimen. Corrosion propagation is commonly
represented as the region of the plot to the right of the
dashed line. The after-migration period is denoted by an
arrow mark following (to the right of) the dashed lines. If
there are two black dashed lines, the range represents the
overall amount of time that the samples were subjected
to accelerated chloride transport, and the blue prisms
inside represent the approximately measured amount of
time that the electric field was applied (i.e., system on).
A blue solid line was utilized to show the commencement
of the accelerated corrosion mechanism in some of the
samples as it was triggered by a modestly applied current,
and gray columns showed each time it occurred.
The Rs, Rc, and rebar potentials that were measured on
specimen SL-1 are depicted in the first plot in Figure 2.
After the electromigration was stopped, there was a
potential drop in the rebar in specimen SL-1. Rc saw a
slight decline and maintained a low value during the
monitored period. The Rs values were below 1 k during
the propagation stage, i.e., after suspending the
electromigration. Starting on day 180, the rebar potential
oscillated and tended to drift toward more positive
values.
The second plot in Figure 2 shows the Rs, Rc, and rebar
potential measured on specimen SL-2. There were
additional electromigration durations performed on the
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Proceedings of MARTEC 2022
rebar in SL-2 (compared to SL-1). However, the total
ampere-hour was comparable. The rebar potential
dropped on day 200 and stayed at -0.250 Vsce or more
negative values. There was a slight decline in Rc values.
During the electromigration, Rc and Rs both seem to
increase monotonically. Starting on day 280, the rebar in
sample SL-2 was subjected to a modest anodic current to
accelerate the corrosion, but it was suspended by day
530. The approximate length of each modest anodic
polarization is shown by the gray bars. All values shown
were after at least two days after turning off the modest
anodic polarization. During the subsequent corrosion
monitoring period, the Rs seem to remain unchanged.
Although it oscillated slightly, specimen SL-2's rebar
potential remained more negative than –0.250 Vsce. The
Rc also fluctuated some but were below 1 k during the
propagation stage, i.e., after suspending the
electromigration. In a few instances, the rebar potential
shifted towards more positive potential. This
phenomenon could arise when corrosion continued at a
lower rate. In some cases, it is speculated that the rebar
repasivated, or that with time the non-corroding rebar
polarized the corroding sites to a more positive value.
Reference [24, 27, 28] contains the figures for the other
SL specimens.
Table 3 shows the average Rs, Rc, and rebar potential
values obtained from LPR/EIS readings for SL single
rebar specimens. The measurements taken between
March 2017 and February 2018 were included to
calculate these averages. It was observed that the largest
Rs(average) and largest Rc(average) values were for the
rebars that are embedded in specimens having the smaller
solution reservoir of 2.5 cm. On the other hand, the
lowest Rs(average) and lowest Rc(average) values were
 Proceedings of MARTEC 2022

found for the rebars embedded in specimens with the Figure 3 summarizes the relationship between the
longer solution reservoir of 17.5 cm. For most of the average corrosion current and the length of the solution
specimens, the average rebar potential values were more reservoir for SL concrete mixes cast with a single rebar.
negative than -0.150 Vsce, except for rebar SL-11 that Using the LPR/EIS method, the average corrosion
had an average rebar potential value of -0.120 Vsce. It is current values were derived from the readings taken
important to mention that the rebar potential and other between September 2017 and February 2018.
readings were influenced by the portion of the rebar not
directly below the reservoir as well as any rebar outside
of the concrete. In some instances, the moisture level was
so high that the rebar that was exposed to the atmosphere
outside the concrete corroded. The Rc values and the
rebar potential were likely impacted by the latter.

Table 4 highlights the Icorr average and STD values

obtained from LPR/EIS readings for SL single rebar
specimens. The measurements taken between September
2017 and February 2018 were included to calculate these
averages. It was observed that for a reservoir length of
17.5 cm, Icorr average & STD values for SL-1, SL-2, and
SL-3 samples were 59.8 μA, 39.1 μA, and 33.1 μA &
17.6 μA, 14.6 μA, and 9.1 μA respectively. While
comparing the Icorr average measured on rebars for 10
cm reservoir length samples, it was found that Icorr
average & STD values for SL-9, SL-10, and SL-11 were
26.1 μA, 30.4 μA, and 31.0 μA & 12.0 μA, 6.6 μA, and Figure 3. Variation of average corrosion current with
4.5 μA respectively. It was noted that for 5 cm reservoir length of solution reservoir for SL concrete mixes cast
length samples, the Icorr average & STD values for SL- with single rebar
6, SL-7, and SL-8 were 10.9 μA, 14.6 μA, and 16.6 μA
& 6.5 μA, 3.9 μA, and 6.1 μA respectively. It was noticed
5. CONCLUSIONS
that for 2.5 cm reservoir length samples, the Icorr average
& STD values for SL-4, and SL-5 were 5.3 μA, and 3.4
μA & 2.8 μA, and 2.8 μA respectively. It was interesting In this investigation, the electromigration approach
to note that the rebar with the largest average Icorr was successfully accelerated the transport of chloride so that
the rebar embedded in sample SL-1, which has the longer corrosion initiation occurs within a few weeks to a few
solution reservoir of 17.5 cm. The rebar with the lowest months.
average Icorr was for SL-5 sample, that has the smaller
solution reservoir of 2.5 cm. The corrosion propagation was observed over 400
days. The length of the solution reservoirs had a
significant impact on the corrosion current values
determined by electrochemical measurements. It was

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