Reference half cells for monitoring corrosion condition of steel in reinforced concrete structures

Abstract

Use of half cell potential for monitoring corrosion condition of steel in concrete structures is a well established technique. It is known that once any external sign of corrosion appears on the concrete, a fairly major repair is necessary. It follows that any method of non‐destructively ascertaining the probability that reinforcement is corroding at an early stage as possible, must be of a great use to engineers. The half cell technique does just this, and when used with other test methods allows a more complete picture of sick structures to be perceived. Moreover, commissioning a particular cathodic protection (CP) criterion for protecting steel in concrete structures rely on half cell potential technique. Thus the importance of corrosion detection and corrosion inhibition (CP) necessitates the selection of suitable half cells.