Corrosion in reinforced concrete structures

Reinforced concrete is a widely used construction material for bridges,

buildings and platforms as well as for underground structures such as

tunnels or reinforced concrete pipelines. In general, reinforced concrete is

a very durable material capable of withstanding a large range of severe

environments including marine, industrial and alpine conditions.




Preface
Despite

the fact that the majority of these structures show good long-term performance and high durability, there is still a large number of failures of

concrete structures as a result of premature reinforcement corrosion.

Owing to either carbonation of the concrete or the ingress of chlorides into the concrete, depassivation of the reinforcing steel occurs, leading to rapid

steel corrosion with significant loss of cross-section. From a scientific point of view the depassivation of the reinforcing steel and the subsequent

corrosion reactions are very complex due to various interactions of environmental exposure conditions, the different materials involved as well as the design of the structure. With regard to economical aspects the cost of corrosion damage to reinforced concrete bridges in the United

States due to the use of deicing salts alone is estimated to be between $325 and $1000 million/year. 1

There are similar statistical results from Australia, Europe and the Middle East. In regions with a marine environment and warm climatic conditions the corrosion process may be significantly

accelerated.


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