Reinforced Concrete Handbook of Corrosion Engineering , Third Edition Pierre R. Roberge Ph.D.
Prepared by Glaysa Asilo
TOPIC S Condition Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Structures Other Forms of Concrete Degradation Degradation of Reinforced Concrete Remedial Measures Degradation of Reinforced Concrete The main causes of corrosion of steel in concrete are chloride attack and carbonation. These two mechanisms are unusual in that they do not attack the integrity of the concrete. Instead, aggressive chemical species pass through the pores in the concrete and attack the steel. This is unlike normal deterioration processes due to chemical attack on concrete. INITIATION AND PROPAGATION OF CORROSION DAMAGE Most problems associated with corrosion of steel in concrete are not due to the direct loss of steel but to the growth of the corrosion oxide products that eventually can lead to cracking and spalling of the concrete cover It has been suggested that less than 100 μm of steel section loss are needed to start cracking and spalling the concrete. The actual amount needed will depend on the geometry in terms of cover, proximity to corners, rebar spacing, bar diameter, and the rate of corrosion. CHLORIDE Chlorides can come ATTACK from several sources. They can be cast into the concrete or they can diffuse in from the outside.
Deliberate addition of chloride set accelerators (calcium chloride was
widely used until the mid-1970s)
Contaminated aggregates (usually sea-dredged aggregates that
were unwashed or inadequately washed)
Use of seawater in the mix
Chloride Attack Mechanism and Chloride Threshold Chlorides act as a catalyst to promote corrosion when there is sufficient concentration at the rebar surface to break down the passive layer. These chlorides are not consumed in the corrosion processes. Chlorides in concrete exist as either free chlorides or as bound chlorides. The former are mobile chlorides dissolved in the pore solution, while the latter type represents relatively immobile chloride ions that can react by chemical binding or by adsorption with the cement paste. Macrocell Formation In the case of chloride attack, the corrosion processes are often well separated with areas of rusting adjacent to areas of "clean" steel. This is known as the macrocell phenomenon. Chloride-induced corrosion is particularly prone to macrocell formation when high levels of water are present to carry chlorides into the concrete. The presence of water in the pores increases the electrical conductivity of the concrete. The higher conductivity allows the separation of anode and cathode as ions can move more freely through the water- impregnated pores. Remedial Measures A number of fundamental measures can be taken to address the problem of reinforcing steel corrosion. However, an important distinction has to be made in the applicability of remedial measures between new and existing structures. Repair Techniques The major scale of the concrete infrastructure deterioration by Corrosion process prevents many organizations to be proactive in the matter, simply because these organizations are fully busy maintaining the functionality of existing structures.
Repair Procedures thus create three different material zone
• Old Chloride contaminated or carbonated concrete • New Concrete • The interface between the old and new concrete Electrochemical techniques
Cathodic protection is one of the few
techniques that can be applied to control corrosion on existing structures. Impressed current cathodic protection of conventional rebar, as opposed to pre- and posttensioned systems, is well established with application dating back over 25 years. Galvanic Cathodic Protection
One Alternative to impressed
current cathodic protection is galvanic or sacrificial anode cathodic protection. This technique uses a metal more susceptible to corrosion then steel in order to generate the galvanic current needed to protect the steel. Stainless Steel Rebar • Corrosion resistance is integral to the material • No coatings are involved that could chip, crack or degrade • Able to withstand shipping, handling, and bending • No “exposed” ends to cover or coat • Good Ductility, strength, and weldability • Magnetic or nonmagnetic, depending on grade Condition Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Structures Techniques that can provide an early warning of critical corrosion problems can be particularly helpful. Once rebar corrosion has proceeded to an advanced state as being visually apparent on external surfaces, it is usually too late to implement effective corrosion control measures and high repair or replacement costs are inevitable. Half-Cell Potential Mapping
Half-cell potential mapping has proved to be a very useful,
nondestructive means to locate areas of corrosion for monitoring and condition assessment as well as in determining the effectiveness of repair work. Used as an early warning system, this technique can detect corrosion long before it becomes visible at the concrete surface. Based on potential mapping, other destructive and laboratory analyses and corrosion rate measurements can be performed more rationally. In addition, the amount of concrete removal in repair works may be minimized because the corrosion sites can be located precisely. Chloride Content Samples for determining the chloride level in concrete are collected in the form of powder produced by drilling or by the extraction of cores, sections of which are subsequently crushed. This latter method can provide an accurate chloride concentration depth profile. The chloride ion concentration is subsequently determined by potentiometric titration. Two distinctions are made in chloride ion concentration testing: acid-soluble chloride content (ASTM C114) refers to the total chloride ion content, while the water-soluble content represents a lower value. Permeability Tests Permeability tests are either based on ponding core samples in chloride solution with subsequent chloride content analysis or on "forced" migration of chloride ions under the influence of an external electric field. The application of the electrical field accelerates chloride ion migration and hence reduces the testing time. Other Forms of Concrete Degradation Alkali-Aggregate Reaction Alkali-aggregate reaction refers to chemical reactions between certain reactive aggregates and the highly alkaline concrete pore solution. Reactive silica is known for such reactions and the term "alkali-silica" reaction is often used. The damage is associated with an internal volume increase, producing cracking and spalling of the concrete. The expansion of aggregate particles and the formation of hygroscopic gels that swell are thought to produce internal stresses. The cracking and spalling of alkali-aggregate reaction damage can make the underlying steel more susceptible to further corrosion attack. Freeze-Thaw Damage Scaling of concrete surfaces is closely related to freeze-thaw damage. Repetitive freeze and thaw cycles can cause concrete surfaces to scale, leading to a pitted surface morphology. Freeze-thaw damages are related to the porous nature of concrete. If the solution trapped in the pores freezes, a volume expansion can occur when the solution freezes and result in increased tensile stresses followed by cracking and spalling of the concrete. Concrete with high moisture content is most susceptible to this damage mechanism. Sulfate Attack Soluble sulfate species can cause deterioration of concrete due to expansion during the reaction between sulfate and calcium aluminates in the cement paste. Sulfate ions are ubiquitous; they are found in soils, seawater, groundwater, and effluent solutions. Use of cement with low C A content is beneficial for reducing the severity of this type of attack. Alternatively, the use of cement replacement material such as ground-granulated blast furnace slag can produce a high-quality chloride and sulfate-resistant concrete ideal for marine tidal and splash zone applications. QUESTIONS : How does steel in concrete normally behave ?
What are the effects of of corrosion
? What is the appearance of corrosion in the active state ? How does steel in concrete normally behave ? Concrete-embeded steel is widely believed to be in a passive state with such a low corrosion rate that, provided passivity is preserved, structures can be expected to have an unlimited durability. What are the effects of of corrosion ?
Corrosion of RC structure is visible in the form
of rust spots, carcks in the concrete cover and spalling. Occasionally, however, cover spalling in structural elements occurs before any other sign of detorioration at the concrete surface is apparent. What is the appearance of corrosion in the active state ? The pH decrease accompanying the progress of carbonation fronts in concrete results in general corrosion, which is not the case with chloride ions. Even if the the attack of chloride ions is started locally, as pits, over the course of time it may eventually affect large, widely- corroded zones over which shallow pits also develop. Experimental results suggest that, after ddepassivation, the chloride concentration in iodic areas increases to balance the excess positive charge due to Fe 2+ ions. The corrosion rate is increases as a result of the chloride enrichment, the THANK YOUUUU