The effect of concrete surface treatments on electrical measurements of corrosion activity

Abstract

One option to extend the life of concrete structures threatened by reinforcement corrosion is the timely application of surface treatments. It is obviously desirable that test methods be available to assess the effectiveness of such remedial work. Electrochemical measurements are widely used in concrete construction to assess the likelihood of corrosion. There is, however, little information on the ability of these methods to perform effectively once a protective treatment has been applied to the surface of the concrete and the project described here was, therefore, set up to determine whether non-destructive electrochemical measurement of corrosion activity in concrete can give reliable information when protective coatings are applied to the surface of the concrete. The results indicate half-cell potential measurements were not affected to a significant degree by the presence of a coating, but that appreciable errors could be introduced in polarisation measurements.