Sensitivity analysis of simplified diffusion-based corrosion initiation model of concrete structures exposed to chlorides

This paper presents the results of a sensitivity analysis of the diffusion-based corrosion initiation model for reinforced concrete structures built in chloride-laden environments. Analytical differentiation techniques are used to determine the sensitivity of the time to corrosion initiation to the four governing parameters of the model, which include chloride diffusivity in concrete, chloride threshold level of steel reinforcement, concrete cover depth, and surface chloride concentration. For conventional carbon steel, the time to corrosion initiation is found to be most sensitive to concrete cover depth, followed by chloride diffusion coefficient, with normalized sensitivity coefficients of about 2 and − 1. For corrosion resistant steels, the time to corrosion initiation is most sensitive to the surface chloride concentration and chloride threshold level followed by the concrete cover depth and chloride diffusion coefficient. The results of this sensitivity analysis are discussed in detail, including the variations in predicted time to corrosion initiation induced by variations of the four model parameters and their implications for the design and maintenance of concrete structures built in corrosive environments.     

Effect of temperature on the corrosion behaviour of low-nickel duplex stainless steel bars in concrete

Stainless steel reinforcing bars can be a means for prolonging the service life of reinforced concrete structures exposed to tropical climates. To select a suitable grade of stainless steel according to exposure conditions and design service life, the definition of the chloride threshold for pitting corrosion initiation is required. This paper investigates the effect of temperature in the range 20–60 °C on the resistance to chloride-induced corrosion of low-nickel duplex stainless steel rebars and, for comparison, of traditional austenitic stainless steel rebars. Tests in concrete and in solutions simulating the concrete pore liquid were performed and an attempt to evaluate the chloride threshold levels for corrosion initiation was carried out. Results showed lower corrosion resistance and higher sensitivity to increase in temperature for low-nickel duplex stainless steel bars compared to traditional austenitic stainless steels.     

Probabilistic evaluation of initiation time in RC bridge beams with load-induced cracks exposed to de-icing salts

In this study, a reliability-based method for predicting the initiation time of reinforced concrete bridge beams with load-induced cracks exposed to de-icing salts is presented. A practical model for predicting the diffusion coefficient of chloride ingress into load-induced cracked concrete is proposed. Probabilistic information about uncertainties related to the surface chloride content and the threshold chloride concentration has been estimated from a wide review of previous experimental or statistical studies. Probabilistic analysis to estimate the time to corrosion initiation with/without considering the effect of the load-induced cracks on the chloride ingress into concrete has been carried out. Results of the analysis demonstrate the importance of considering the effect of the load-induced cracks for correct prediction of corrosion initiation in RC bridge beams exposed to chlorides.     

Residual mechanical properties of steel fiber reinforced concrete damaged by alkali silica reaction and subsequent sodium chloride exposure

Infrastructures treated with de-icing salts and those which are in direct contact with sea water are subjected to degradation by chloride ingress. Concrete composed of reactive sources of silica and used near such regions can suffer from both, alkali silica reaction (ASR) and chloride ingress subsequently. This research aims at empirically investigating the residual mechanical properties of plain and steel fiber reinforced concrete damaged by alkali silica reaction (ASR) and subsequent chloride ion ingress. Accelerated degradation tests on three concrete mixes such as plain concrete (PC,control), steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) and high strength fiber reinforced concrete (HSFRC) were done. Specimens were initially damaged by ASR, and then submerged in chloride solution at temperature ranges of 5 ^oC, 25 ^oC and 40 ^oC. 1 mol/L NaOH solution and 3% NaCl solution were used for a period of 20 and 40 weeks. Steel fibers were found to be effective in reducing surface crack widths at 5 ^oC and 25 ^oC. Accelerated mortar bar test showed that steel fibers were able to reduce expansion by 31.5% and 65.3% using single and double hooked fibers. By examining the residual compressive and flexure strengths, it was found that exposure to chloride environment aided in hydration reaction which counter-balanced the damage due to ASR. Fiber-matrix bonding developed over time inducing friction which led to higher ductility and less damage in flexure strength in steel fiber reinforced concrete prisms.     

Corrosion of steel fibre reinforced concrete from the cracks

The corrosion of steel fibres in the cracked section has been under investigation by many researchers since the last 15 years. It is reported widely that in case of steel fibres reinforced concrete (SFRC), corrosion is less active as compared with steel bars. In the cracked section, the durability of the material depends on the performance of the bridging capacity of the fibres embedded in the concrete. The corrosion of the fibres not only could produce the spalling of concrete but it could also reduce the sectional area of the fibres, turning the durability of structures in danger. This study focuses on those two aspects of fibre corrosion. The tests were performed on cracked SFRC samples with 0.5-mm crack mouth openings (CMOs) exposed to marine-like environment for 1 year. The results confirm the small sensitivity of SFRC to corrosion. Surprisingly, they made appear an increase of the flexural strength after corrosion. The factors affecting the corrosion of the fibres and the reasons for the increase in flexural strength after corrosion are discussed.     

Application of electrochemical techniques for the control of cracks and steel corrosion in concrete

Electrochemical techniques are becoming increasingly popular as a means of rehabilitating deteriorated reinforced concrete. In this paper we explore the possibility of using an electrodeposition technique for repairs of land-based cracked concrete structures and investigate the effect of this technique on various concrete properties. Concrete specimens reinforced with steel rebars were used as test specimens in this study. The specimens were first precracked by exposing rebars to chloride-induced corrosion, and then immersed in a solution of zinc sulfate and subjected to a constant d.c. current. The current was applied between the reinforcing steel in the concrete and an external electrode immersed in the solution for eight weeks. The degree of crack closure, water permeability, condition of reinforcing steel, and chloride concentration were investigated in order to assess the effectiveness of this method as a potential rehabilitation technique. The results indicate that the formation of electrodeposits caused the closure of cracks and led to improvement of the concrete watertightness. In addition, the investigation shows that the application of the electrical current increases the passivity of steel in concrete.     

混凝土结构用纤维增强塑料筋的耐久性评述

钢筋锈蚀在房屋建筑、公路、桥梁、大坝等混凝土结构中大量存在,是混凝土结构耐久性破坏的主要形式之一。纤维增强塑料筋(FRP筋)作为一种钢筋替代材料在混凝土工程中的应用是解决钢筋锈蚀问题的新途径之一。本文对FRP筋及型材在多种环境条件下的耐久性问题的国内外研究进展现状进行了分析,并对今后FRP筋及型材的耐久性研究趋势作了展望。     

Corrosion by chlorides in reinforced concrete: Determination of chloride concentration threshold by impedance spectroscopy

Chloride penetration in reinforced concrete induces depassivation of the steel rebars and initiation of the corrosion process leading to degradation of the structure. The coupling of “low-frequency” impedance response with SEM observations and multielementary analyses emphasized that the strong decrease of the capacitive part is related to the corrosion initiation. This experimentally determined incubation period is used in an electrodiffusion model based on Fick's second law to quantify the chloride concentration threshold responsible for corrosion initiation on the reinforcing steel surface. This work thus allowed quantifying the incubation period and the critical chloride concentration, referred to in Tuutti's diagram [K. Tuutti, Corrosion of steel in concrete, CBI Research Report no. 4.82, Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, 1982].     

Cover cracking of reinforced concrete due to rebar corrosion induced by chloride penetration

Cracking of concrete cover due to corrosion induced expansion of steel rebar is one of the major causes of the deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) structures exposed to marine environments and de-icing salts.This paper presents two models that deal with the chloride-induced corrosion and subsequent cracking of concrete cover in RC structures. The former analyses the chloride diffusion within partially saturated concrete. A comprehensive model is developed through the governing equations of moisture, heat and chloride-ion flow. Nonlinearity of diffusion coefficients, chloride binding isotherms and convection phenomena are also highlighted. The latter describes the internal cracking around the bar due to expansive pressures as corrosion of the reinforcing bar progresses. Once a certain chloride concentration threshold is reached in the area surrounding the bar, oxidation of steel begins and oxide products are generated, which occupy much greater volume than the original steel consumed by corrosion. An embedded cohesive crack model is applied for cracking simulation.Both models are incorporated in the same finite element program. The models are chained, though not explicitly coupled, at first instance. Comparisons with experimental results are carried out, with reasonably good agreements being obtained. The work is a step forward for the integration of the two traditional phases (initiation and propagation) widely used in the literature and usually analysed separately. The estimation of the service life of the structure needs to evaluate the associated time for each one.     

Reinforcement corrosion initiation and activation times in concrete structures exposed to severe marine environments

The corrosion of steel reinforcement bars in reinforced concrete structures exposed to severe marine environments usually is attributed to the aggressive nature of chloride ions. In some cases in practice corrosion has been observed to commence already within a few years of exposure even with considerable concrete cover to the reinforcement and apparently high quality concretes. However, there are a number of other cases in practice for which corrosion initiation took much longer, even in cases with quite modest concrete cover and modest concrete quality. Many of these structures show satisfactory long-term structural performance, despite having high levels of localized chloride concentrations at the reinforcement. This disparity was noted already more than 50 years ago, but appears still not fully explained. This paper presents a systematic overview of cases reported in the engineering and corrosion literature and considers possible reasons for these differences. Consistent with observations by others, the data show that concretes made from blast furnace cements have better corrosion durability properties. The data also strongly suggest that concretes made with limestone or non-reactive dolomite aggregates or sufficiently high levels of other forms of calcium carbonates have favourable reinforcement corrosion properties. Both corrosion initiation and the onset of significant damage are delayed. Some possible reasons for this are explored briefly.     

Investigation of Bond Behavior Between Glass Fiber Composite Reinforcements and Concrete

Worldwide there is a need for the renewal of infrastructure because of age, deterioration, misuse, lack of repair, use of improper materials and techniques, and even due to changing needs. The corrosion of steel reinforcing bars is one of the major causes of degradation of concrete structures. Composites are increasingly being considered as a potential replacement for steel rebar, but there exists a critical lack of fundamental data and understanding of their behavior in relationship to traditional civil engineering materials such as concrete. This paper presents a preliminary investigation on the bond and pullout behavior of glass fiber reinforced composite reinforcement in concrete. The pullout behavior of the system was studied using a concentric pullout test and results are compared with theoretical predictions. The study is aimed at the development of a fundamental understanding of bond behavior and materials-configuration interrelationships needed to further the use of composites as reinforcements for application in areas where corrosion and electromagnetic interference make the use of steel reinforcement inefficient.     

Predicting carbonation in early-aged cracked concrete

Carbonation in cracked concrete is considered as one of major deteriorations accelerating steel corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. For durable concrete structures, it is necessary to control crack in concrete through crack resistance evaluation for early-aged concrete structures, but often unavoidable cracks in early-aged concrete may occur. These cracks become a main path for CO₂ penetration inside concrete so that the carbonation is accelerated in cracked concrete.In this study, an analytical technique for carbonation prediction in early-aged cracked concrete was developed for considering both CO₂ diffusion of pore water in sound concrete and in cracked concrete. Then, characteristics of diffusivity on the carbonation in early-aged concrete are studied through finite element analysis implemented with the so-called multi-component hydration heat model and micro-pore structure formation model. The carbonation behaviour in sound concrete and cracked concrete are also simulated by using the derived diffusivity with consideration of reaction with dissolved CO₂. Finally, numerical results obtained for cracked concrete made with 3 different W / C ratios (45%, 55%, and 65%) with different crack widths were compared with experimental results.     

Experimental study on bond strength of fiber reinforced polymer rebars in normal strength concrete

The bond behavior of reinforcing bars is an important issue in the design of reinforced concrete structures and the use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars is a promising solution to handle the problems of steel reinforcement corrosion. This study investigates the bond characteristics of carbon and aramid FRP (CFRP and AFRP) bars embedded in normal strength concrete. A pullout test was performed on 63 normal strength concrete specimens reinforced with FRP and steel rebars with different embedment lengths and bar diameters. The average bond stress versus slip curve is plotted for all specimens and their failure modes are identified. The effects of the embedment length and diameter of an FRP rebar on its bond strength are examined in this work. The bond strengths obtained from the test results are compared with the predictions by the bond strength equation proposed by Okelo and Yuan (2005), and its validity is evaluated.     

建筑增强用聚丙烯腈纤维的耐海水腐蚀性研究

模拟混凝土应用的海洋环境,在常温(25℃)、氯化物浓度为5610 mg/L的海水中对建筑增强用聚丙烯腈(PAN)纤维进行浸泡处理,研究建筑增强用PAN纤维的耐海水腐蚀性,并与聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)增强纤维和聚丙烯(PP)增强纤维进行对比。结果表明:海水浸泡50 d后,建筑增强用PAN纤维的主要吸收特征峰无明显变化,且无新的吸收特征峰出现,纤维超分子结构变化较小,晶区取向度基本保持不变,结晶度略有增加;海水浸泡50 d后,建筑增强用PAN纤维的拉伸强度为1261 MPa、降幅0.63%,初始模量为18.6 GPa、增幅8.14%,其拉伸强度与PET增强纤维相当、约为PP增强纤维的1.8倍,初始模量约是PET增强纤维的1.4倍、PP增强纤维的3.2倍;建筑增强用PAN纤维、PET增强纤维、PP增强纤维的拉伸强度耐蚀系数分别为99.4%,99.2%,100.0%,建筑增强用PAN纤维的耐海水腐蚀性介于PP增强纤维和PET增强纤维之间,但其在海水中环境中具有优异的模量保持优势,可以更好地提高混凝土在海水环境中的耐受力。     

Diffusion of chloride ions in polymer‐mortar composites

In recent years, the rapid deterioration of various reinforced concrete structures has been a widely recognized problem in the world. Penetration of chloride ions into the concrete structures was found to be the major cause of premature corrosion of reinforcing steel and to promote their deterioration. The present articles deals with the resistance to chloride penetration of polymer‐mortar, which are often used as low‐cost promising materials for preventing or repairing various reinforced concrete structures. To gain more knowledge on the efficiency of polymer‐mortar, four mortar mixtures: one specimen with Portland cement (control sample) and three mixtures with 2.5, 5, and 7.5 wt % of the replacement of cement by polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were tested for chloride ion permeability under immersion in 5% sodium chloride solution. Their chloride ion penetration behavior is discussed by applying Fick's second law. In conclusion, the chloride ion penetration depth and apparent chloride ion diffusion coefficient of the polymer‐mortar composites are smaller than those of unmodified mortar. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Corrosion performance of conventional (ASTM A615) and low-alloy (ASTM A706) reinforcing bars embedded in concrete and exposed to chloride environments

Conventional reinforcing steel is used in the majority of reinforced concrete structures. In general, steel reinforcement meeting ASTM A615 specifications has been the predominant reinforcement used for these structures. Low-alloy reinforcing steel (ASTM A706) was developed and is being marketed to improve ductility and weldability deficiencies associated with the ASTM A615 reinforcement. Several State Highway Agencies have adopted the use of these low-alloy reinforcing steels. Limited research has been performed on the corrosion characteristics of the steel reinforcement meeting ASTM A706 specifications. This paper presents results from a laboratory study on the critical chloride threshold, macrocell corrosion rates, and mass loss testing for ASTM A706 and ASTM A615 reinforcing steels embedded in concrete and exposed to chloride solution. Results from this study indicate that ASTM A706 reinforcing steel exhibits lower critical chloride threshold levels and higher corrosion rates than ASTM A615 reinforcing steel when embedded in cementitious materials.     

钢筋混凝土中防腐添加剂的研究进展

在钢筋混凝土结构服役过程中,由环境侵蚀因素导致的耐久性问题是制约结构长效服役的重要原因,其中,氯离子侵蚀导致的钢筋锈蚀是引起钢筋混凝土耐久性劣化的主要因素之一。在混凝土内掺加防腐添加剂,可从促进钢筋表面成膜和改善混凝土自身性能(孔隙结构、水化过程、Friedel’s盐生成)等方面提升阻锈能力,近年来逐渐成为研究热点。本文将防腐添加剂分为传统阻锈剂、绿色植物提取物阻锈剂、纳米材料以及矿物掺合料等四类,从材料开发、作用机制、阻锈影响因素等方面对防腐添加剂的研究进行了综述。最后,探讨了防腐添加剂研究中存在的问题,并对未来的研究提出了建议,以期为防腐添加剂能够更好地防治混凝土中的钢筋锈蚀问题提供参考。     

Corrosion behaviour of innovative stainless steels in mortar

The main problem of the building sector is the limited durability of reinforcing concrete structures under highly aggressive environments due to the corrosion of reinforcements. In order to demonstrate that stainless steels are the adequate solution to avoid corrosion of reinforced concrete structures by contained chlorides, the corrosion behaviour of AISI 304 and AISI 316L stainless steels in mortar with two chloride doses is compared with the corrosion behaviour of three new stainless steels of low Ni content and reduced cost, and with the traditional carbon steel. The lowest chloride contamination (2% Cl⁻) has been used in this research to provoke corrosion in an active state of reinforcing carbon steel, whereas the highest one (5% Cl⁻) exceeds all expected levels found in the natural environment, including sea water. The new stainless steels remain in the passive state in mortar specimens with both chloride contents.     

Effects of cathodic prevention on the chloride threshold for steel corrosion in concrete

This paper presents the results of long-term experimental tests aimed at studying the effects of cathodic prevention on the critical chloride threshold for the onset of pitting corrosion on steel bars in concrete. Cathodic prevention is applied when the structure is new and rebars are still passive being in contact with alkaline and chloride-free concrete. The results obtained showed that even very low values of current densities can increase the critical chloride threshold and, therefore, contribute to increase the service life of reinforced concrete structures in chloride-bearing environments.     

Corrosion monitoring of reinforcing steel in cement mortar by EIS and ENA

Health degradation by corrosion of steel in civil engineering, especially in rough environment, is a persistent problem. Environment pollution and global warming will exacerbate this problem. The assessment of whole-life costing and residual service life prediction of structures is very important. Pitting corrosion is the most important factor which influences the service life of the reinforced concrete structures in many chloride included environments. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method is used to study the corrosion process of reinforcing steel in cement mortar. According to the results of the experiments, dispersion and diffusing effect control the electrochemical process of carbon steel corrosion in the cement mortar. By fitting the results with EC, the parameters about CPE and Warburg impedance are calculated. The pitting corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel in cement mortar has been studied by electrochemical noise analysis (ENA) method, the wavelet transform has been employed to analyze the EN data of reinforcing steel in mortar, and the energy distribution plot (EDP) is plotted. The experimental results show that the change of EDP during the corrosion process can qualitatively reveal useful information on corrosion mechanisms.