Besides chlorides, concrete carbonation may promote corrosion of the reinforcing steel in concrete. In urban tropical locations, away from the marine environment, carbonation may be the sole responsible cause of corrosion in reinforced concrete elements. Previous investigations in reinforced concrete buildings have showed significant concrete carbonation after 20 years of service. As lower mechanical strength is required for concrete elements involved in housing construction than that required for concrete buildings, faster carbonation rates are expected in concrete houses than those observed in concrete buildings. This investigation is aimed at the impact of carbonation-induced corrosion of reinforcing concrete elements used in housing construction. Estimates of the length of the corrosion initiation period based on the measured carbonation coefficients are presented.
Keywords: Carbonation, Compressive strength, Concrete, Corrosion, Porosity.