Abstract
The use of supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash, slag, and silica fume improve reinforced concrete corrosion performance, while decreasing cost and reducing environmental impact compared to ordinary Portland cement. In this study, the corrosion behavior of AISI 1018 carbon steel (CS) and AISI 304 stainless steel (SS) reinforcements was studied for 365 days. Three different concrete mixtures were tested: 100% CPC (composite Portland cement), 80% CPC and 20% silica fume (SF), and 80% CPC and 20% fly ash (FA). The concrete mixtures were designed according to the ACI 211.1 standard. The reinforced concrete specimens were immersed in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl test solution to simulate a marine environment. Corrosion monitoring was evaluated using the corrosion potential (Ecorr) according to ASTM C876 and the linear polarization resistance (LPR) according to ASTM G59. The results show that AISI 304 SS reinforcements yielded the best corrosion behavior, with Ecorr values mainly pertaining to the region of 10% probability of corrosion, and corrosion current density (icorr) values indicating passivity after 105 days of experimentation and low probability of corrosion for the remainder of the test period.
Highlights
Due to its relatively low cost and high compressive resistance capability, reinforced concrete is frequently used as a construction material worldwide
Results on fly ash (FA) research showed that its presence in concrete improves the workability of mortars and concretes in their fresh state
The presence of FA improves structural properties such as compressive strength; this improvement occurs at a later stage than in the mortars and concretes without FA [23]
Summary
Due to its relatively low cost and high compressive resistance capability, reinforced concrete is frequently used as a construction material worldwide. Corrosion of steel embedded in concrete was extensively studied since the 1950s, and, in the last 30 years, research concentrated on minimizing the steel corrosion rate. Current trends focus on innovation in concrete technology, finding alternative materials to composite Portland cement (CPC), the use of different reinforcing steels, the use of corrosion inhibitors, and the impact of the exposure environment, such as marine or urban, both natural and simulated [2,3,4,5,6]. The service lifetime of a reinforced concrete structure can be reduced by corrosion of the embedded reinforcing steel due to aggressive agents from the environment [7]; one of the main causes is chloride ions. In the case of Mexico, data that can give an idea of losses due to corrosion are not available, yet this country has more than 10,000 km of coastline where there are many reinforced concrete structures susceptible to corrosion damage
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
