A summary on the disbandment of epoxy coating on reinforcing steel extracted from marine substructures in Florida is presented. The bridges examined in this study had been in service for periods ranging from 3 to 13 years. Disbandment was consistently observed in rebar in bridges older than 4 years. The disbandment developed even in the absence of significant chloride ion contamination of the concrete surrounding the rebar. Continued loss of adhesion was observed in most of the specimens even after prolonged storage (1 month to years) in a desiccator. Contamination of the epoxysteel interface was modest to very small, and the extent of contamination did not show any distinct correlation with loss of bond.
Keywords: bridges, disbandment, epoxy-coated rebar, marine substructures, reinforced concrete