Search
Filters
Close

Effectiveness of the Methods for Detection and Evaluation of Corrosion on the ReinforcementSteel of RC Structures – A State-Of-Practice Review

Corrosion of steel reinforcement is one of the most common forms of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures, having a large impact on both their life-cycle cost, and overall performance. For example, according to the 2021 Report Card for American’s Infrastructure of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) [1], the amount of money needed to fix existing civil infrastructures in the USA is in the order of six (6) trillion USD; most of this is in connection to corrosion-related concrete deterioration.


Corrosion of steel embedded in concrete is an electrochemical process that occurs when a potential difference along the bars forms a cell with anode and cathode zones on the steel, and the pore water in the hardened cement paste serves as electrolyte [2].

Product Number: MECC23-20127-SG
Author: Carlos E. Acero
Publication Date: 2023
$20.00
$20.00
$20.00

The corrosion of the reinforcing steel in Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures is responsible for most of the damaging deterioration of these structures. Repairs for this type of deterioration cost owners and asset managers billions of US dollars every year. It is well accepted that the penetration of chloride Ions (Cl-) into the sound concrete, reaching the reinforcing steel, is responsible for premature corrosion and subsequent damage when moisture and oxygen are available; thus, reinforcing steel is deemed protected when the thickness of its concrete cover is maximized. However, the required embedment makes the bars unreachable to conduct periodic assessment of their condition. Therefore, indirect methods and technologies are used to measure and predict corrosion before significant damage occurs.


The objective of this paper is to present an updated review of the most prevalent and promising technologies for measuring and predicting corrosion of embedded reinforcing steel, touching on their advantages and disadvantages as well as their applicability when alternative reinforcement such as Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) is used. The work also includes a practical study where several methods were reviewed to determine which of them provided the most amount of corrosion condition information with the least intrusion to the structure.

The corrosion of the reinforcing steel in Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures is responsible for most of the damaging deterioration of these structures. Repairs for this type of deterioration cost owners and asset managers billions of US dollars every year. It is well accepted that the penetration of chloride Ions (Cl-) into the sound concrete, reaching the reinforcing steel, is responsible for premature corrosion and subsequent damage when moisture and oxygen are available; thus, reinforcing steel is deemed protected when the thickness of its concrete cover is maximized. However, the required embedment makes the bars unreachable to conduct periodic assessment of their condition. Therefore, indirect methods and technologies are used to measure and predict corrosion before significant damage occurs.


The objective of this paper is to present an updated review of the most prevalent and promising technologies for measuring and predicting corrosion of embedded reinforcing steel, touching on their advantages and disadvantages as well as their applicability when alternative reinforcement such as Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) is used. The work also includes a practical study where several methods were reviewed to determine which of them provided the most amount of corrosion condition information with the least intrusion to the structure.