Galvanostatic testing for the durability of marine concrete under fatigue loading

Abstract

Fatigue loading is a significant factor in determining the service life of the marine concrete structures, as it considerably enhances the deterioration process in a corrosive marine environment. To evaluate the durability of marine concrete structures subjected to fatigue loading, accelerated laboratory testing was carried out on full- and half-size reinforced concrete specimens, subjected to static and fatigue loading with three different water cement ratios (w/c=0.3, 0.4, and 0.6). The marine tidal zone was simulated by alternate filling and draining of the tank, and a galvanostatic corrosion technique was used to accelerate corrosion of the reinforcement. Half-cell potential measurements and crack investigations were followed by ultimate strength testing. The significant findings include the adverse effect of fatigue loading, existence of an explicit size effect, and the negative effect of increasing water/cement ratio.