Macrocell Corrosion of Steel in Concrete under Carbonation, Internal Chloride Admixing and Accelerated Chloride Penetration Conditions.

Zhilu Jiang,Xuefeng Zhang,Chuanqing Fu,Siyao Li,Nanguo Jin,Zheng Dong,Tian Xia

doi:10.3390/ma14247691

Zhilu Jiang, Xuefeng Zhang + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14247691

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Journal: Materials	Publication Date: Dec 13, 2021
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang University

Abstract

Steel corrosion has become the main reason for the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. Due to the heterogeneity of concrete and the spatial variation of environmental conditions, macrocell corrosion is often formed by localized corrosion, which is more detrimental if the anode is supported by large numbers of cathodes. The macrocell corrosion caused by concrete carbonation has been seldom studied. Furthermore, the influence of geometrical conditions on cathode-controlled corrosion in the chloride environment needs to be further clarified. In this work, the macrocell corrosion of steel embedded in concrete specimens exposed to accelerated carbonation, chloride contamination, and chloride penetration is studied using a modified ASTM G109 method. Concrete specimens with various binder types, geometrical parameters (i.e., concrete cover thickness and the diameter of embedded steel), and boundary conditions were tested. A simplified mathematical model for the prediction of the steel corrosion rate was developed considering two-dimensional oxygen diffusion. The results showed that, at the same level of anodic potential drops, the corrosion current rate in chloride-induced corrosion is higher than that of carbonation-induced corrosion. Chloride contamination is less detrimental to concrete incorporated with slag and pulverized fly ash than it is to pure ordinary Portland cement (OPC), likely due to enhanced chloride binding capacity. The results also indicated that the model considering two-dimensional diffusion can accurately predict the cathodic reaction process on corroded steel bars, which provides a theoretical basis for considering the correction coefficient of steel bar position in the establishment of a steel bar corrosion rate model.

Highlights

The chloride- and carbonation-induced corrosion of steel reinforcing bars is the main reason for the deterioration and premature failure of concrete structures [1]
This study aims to study the macrocell corrosion behaviors of steel embedded in concrete exposed to three simulated environments, i.e., accelerated carbonation, chloride salts contamination, and cyclic drying–wetting chloride penetration
It can be seen that the concrete gained most strength at 7 days and had the strongest reduction in porosity at days, which was similar for all binder types

Summary

Introduction

The chloride- and carbonation-induced corrosion of steel reinforcing bars is the main reason for the deterioration and premature failure of concrete structures [1]. The chloride-induced corrosion is concerned with structures exposed to marine or deicing salt environments, while carbonation-induced corrosion affects a wider range of structures. Expansive rusts formed due to corrosion propagation can generate longitudinal cracks in concrete cover, degrade the bonding between reinforcement and concrete, and reduce the bearing capacity of structural members [7,8,9,10]. Illuminating the steel depassivation and corrosion propagation process in concrete exposed to different environmental conditions can provide important information on selecting appropriate corrosion control and monitoring measures.

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