Concrete--Corrosion

In this investigation an ultrasonic technique and spectral analysis
were employed to detect corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete
under conditions of accelerated testing. Various properties of a
transmitted ultrasonic pulse were determined, and it was concluded
that the transfer function provided the most realistic possibility
for detection of corrosion and cracking. The most meaningful correlations
of the transfer function with corrosion and cracking events
were for situations where the temporal variation of the transfer
function at the particular frequency was small. The appropriateness
of ultrasonic parameters with regard to problems involving corrosion
of reinforcing steel is discussed.

A pH determination technique of concrete pore water by means of leaching OH- ions from powdered samples was developed. This method was then evaluated in terms of sample size, extent of dilution, leaching period, the type of leaching, calcium hydroxide error, and titration scatter. Based upon variations of the above parameters it was concluded that a maximum amount of hydroxide ions was released into solution for samples with the smallest particle size within a 24 hours static leaching period. A 50ml dilution volume proved optimum with regard to filtration and titration. Under the above circumstances calcium hydroxide dissolution did not seem to pose a significant source of error. Furthermore, repeatability of the measurements was good and titration scatter was determined to be about 0.05 pH units. This method was used to determine the pH of samples containing different amounts of fly ash or silica fume additions as well as plain cement (control) samples. A drop in OH- concentration, that is pH, was detected with increasing pozzolanic addition. The results are discussed with the context of the degree of corrosion mitigation afforded by these pozzolans.

Hollow, cylindrical mortar specimens of 0.4 water-cement ratio were prepared without reinforcement and exposed to flowing natural sea water for periods up to one year. Direct currents of 2, 10 and 50 mA were impressed between a mixed metal-oxide titanium substrate electrode positioned within each of these two zones, with a different electrolyte supply and exhaust for the cylinder core and exterior surface. Linear expansion of the specimens was evaluated as a function of exposure duration from the output of embedded strain gages and from dimensional measurement of cylinder length and diameter. It was found that expansion of specimens exposed to direct current exceeded baseline ones (no current). Also, the expansion was anisotropic in that different magnitudes and trends were apparent for the diameter versus length directions. The expansion under free exposure (no current) was determined to be a function of specimen size and of the direction of measurement relative to the cast specimen face.

The acoustic emission investigations reported herein are divided into two experimental sets. In the first, the concrete specimens were stressed internally, and the resulting acoustic emissions were monitored. In the second, specimens were subjected to fracture mechanics tests and simultaneously studied for AE signals. For both sets, two kinds of concrete were studied--regular concrete and concrete containing fly ash. The specimens were stressed internally by subjecting them to an accelerated state of corrosion in a marine environment. The corroded specimens were then tested for impact and flexural strengths to study the effect of fly ash replacement on rebar corrosion in a marine environment, and to ascertain any correlation between the monitored AE signals and residual strength. Furthermore, an attempt was made to predict the remaining life of the specimens. For the externally stressed specimens, AE was used to determine the load at initiation of unstable crack propagation terms of ultimate load. These tests have immediate and relevant applications to field problems.

Tests were conducted using 10 cm. (3.93 in.) lengths of both
epoxy coated and bare steel reinforcing rods in simulated concrete
environments of varying pH and chloride ion levels. Polarization
studies using cathodic scan techniques were used to characterize the
quality of the epoxy coating. In all the environments tested, bars
with more defects required larger currents at a given potential than
did the bars with few defects. Corrosion potential measurements in
passive environments showed significant fluctuations from day to day,
making it difficult to use potential measurement for corrosion characterization.
Galvanic couples between epoxy coated and uncoated bars
indicated that galvanic currents increased as the differences in the
corrosion potentials increased and also as the chloride ion content
of the environment increased from 0 to 0.05 M.

A study of the corrosion protection afforded by epoxy coatings on reinforcing steel was performed. To accomplish this bars were acquired from ten sources and coatings were characterized in terms of defects, thickness, solvent extraction weight loss and hardness. Testing involved exposure in various aqueous solutions at both ambient temperature and 80$\sp\circ$C and in chloride-contaminated concrete slabs under outdoor exposure. Direct pull-off adhesion testing was performed on tested and virgin epoxy coated reinforcing steels (ECRs). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) scans were made periodically, and a curve fitting technique was employed to analyze coating parameters. Conventional electrochemical measurements were also made, and corrosion morphology of ECR specimens was examined. It was found that the density and size of coating defects was the primary factor affecting ECR performance. The circuit analysis indicated that poorly performing defect-free coatings absorbed water and oxygen; and these species reached the coating/substrate interface and electrochemical reactions at the interface caused coating degradation. By way of contrast, the impedance response for well-performing ECR specimens showed no signs of active degradation at the interface although diffusional processes similar to those noted for poorly performing bars occurred here also. Experimental results indicated a relationship between corrosion behavior and bar source. Weight loss upon solvent extraction correlated with impedance reduction from hot water exposure. Coating defects developed during most of the tests, especially in high pH solutions containing chloride ions. ECRs with excessive coating defects, either initially present or ones which developed in service, performed poorly in every test category regardless of source. Forms of coating failure were extensive rusting at defects, blistering, wet adhesion loss, cathodic delamination, underfilm corrosion and coating cracks. These occurred sequentially or concurrently, depending on the condition of the ECR and nature of the environment.