Influence of steel-fiber type and content on electrical resistivity of old-concrete

Abstract

Electrical resistivity is a property associated with both the physical and chemical characteristics of concrete. It allows the evaluation of the greater or lesser difficulty with which aggressive substances penetrate the concrete\'s core before the dissolution of the passive film process and the consequent reinforcement\'s corrosion begin. This work addresses the steel fiber addition to concrete with two types and various contents from 0% to 1.3%, correlating it with its electrical resistivity. To that effect, 9 different mixes of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) were produced. The electrical resistivity was evaluated on the on six years aged SFRC by direct measurement at different frequency from 0.1 kHz to 100 kHz. The results indicate that steel fiber content is strongly conditioned by the type and quantity of the additions used. It was also found that long type of fibers has more effect on decreasing the electrical resistivity of concrete than short fibers. Therefore, they increase the corrosion risk of concrete depending on fiber volume fraction and moisture percentage.