Presuel-Moreno, Francisco

The study of non-invasive techniques to analyze the propagation of corrosion in steel reinforced concrete structures proves to be a great alternative to better understanding the corrosive process of rebar and increasing its useful life. The study presented in this document examines the evolution of steel reinforced concrete corrosion over time by applying a small anodic current over four samples, one with a single rebar (16X) and three with three rebars. The rebars were interconnected to apply the anodic current and accelerate their corrosion. Galvanostatic Pulse (GP) was used. This method applies a constant current pulse to the rebar for 150 seconds while monitoring the potential of the rebars. Each rebar's corrosion current was assessed using GP measurements when no anodic current was applied, and the rebars were disconnected. Sample 16X additionally underwent ultrasonic acoustic analysis by collecting the surface and rebar echo response with a transducer and modeling the sound propagation for poroelastic media with an adapted version of the novel Biot-Stoll method.

Reinforced concrete (RC) is the building block of modern architecture and industry. The failure of which is costly and dangerous. Typically made with carbon steel rebars, corrosion resistant alloys provide an alternative method of delaying failure. Stainless steels, while more expensive than carbon steels, provide excellent corrosion resistance, but less is known about the long term monitoring of corrosion activity for stainless steel than for carbon steel. This study looks at samples prepared between 2005 and 2009 using 304SS, 316SS, and 2304SS rebars, as well as SMI and Stelax stainless steel clad carbon steel reinforcements embedded in three different concrete mixes. These selected samples are split into two exposure environments, inside humidity chambers within the laboratory and outdoor exposure. Measurements reported here were made monthly over the course of 250 plus days using the Galvanostatic Pulse method, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, and a Gecor 8 device. These methods were used to determine corrosion current, isolated corrosion current density, and solution resistance.
Corrosion current density values calculated from measurements by the Galvanostatic Pulse and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy method are too small to indicate corrosion, based on value ranges provided by Andrade. However, Gecor 8 corrosion current density values indicate low levels or moderate levels of corrosion for all samples compared to the Andrade’s value ranges. The area used by the Gecor is unknown, so it’s possible this is driving up the measured values.

A significant amount of reinforced concrete structures in the USA are reaching the design life span of 50 years. Degradation of these infrastructure due to corrosion presents an economical, safety and quality of life challenge for our society. Being able to study and determine the conditions of our infrastructure, perform maintenance before failure and predict failure before occurrence has become critical for our society and our way of life. This study was performed to add to existing research in the understanding of the relationships between the corrosion current of the embedded carbon steel rebars in reinforced concrete, rebar mass loss due to corrosion and the degradation of the mechanical properties of the carbon steel embedded in high performance concrete structures. The study also aimed to study the influence of different independent variables such as the chloride solution reservoir size and the concrete composition of the prepared specimens for the study.
Specimens for the study were prepared by embedding three carbon steel size #4 rebars in blocks of high performing concrete with different admixture to enhance their performance against corrosion. To initiate corrosion specimens were exposed to accelerated chloride transport method (electromigration). To accelerate corrosion some samples were selected for anodic polarization and additional electromigration.
After corrosion initiation, the rebars Open Circuit Potential (OCP) and corrosion current (Icorr) were periodically measured using a galvanostat device from April 2017 to August 2021. The OCP average values showed that all the rebars considered in this study were in active corrosion. Faraday’s law was used to determine the rebar calculated mass loss from the measured corrosion current and the elapse time between measurements. The rebar mass loss was in turn used to model the loss of the physical properties of the rebar (yield strength, ultimate strength, and ultimate strain) using (Vanama & Ramakrishnan, 2020) model. Analysis of these parameters results showed a direct relationship between the measured corrosion current and the calculated mass loss of the corroding rebar. The study also showed a direct relationship between the calculated mass loss of the corroding rebar and the degradation of the physical properties of the rebar.

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), are beneficial when used as partial replacement of cement in concrete mixtures for coastal concrete structures, blended with Portland cement (binary or ternary mixes), i.e., high-performance concrete provides improved properties when exposed to marine harsh environment. In order to characterize selected durability properties of different concrete mixtures, a testing program was established. The intent of this study consists of testing 10cm diameter x 20cm long concrete specimens prepared with a range of different mix designs. 1) to evaluate the rate of water absorption due to capillary suction, referred to as sorptivity, 2) to evaluate the concrete surface resistivity, 3) to evaluate and compare the total porosity of specimens with different mixes, and 4) to obtain correlations between resistivity and sorptivity. All of these experimental tests were carried out according to ASTM International Standards (Sorptivity, Porosity) and Florida Method of Test (Resistivity). The tests were performed on concrete samples at various ages. Moreover, The results provided a fast and reasonable approximation of the concrete durability over time. Ordinary portland cement was partially replaced with supplementary cementitious materials including: fly ash (20%), silica fume (8%) and blast furnace slag (50%). These SCMs are highly effective in creating more durable concrete design mixtures. The water-to-cementitious (w/cm) ratios of 0.41 and 0.35 were investigated. The concrete that contains pozzolanic materials has demonstrated progress in extending the time for initiation of corrosion. The test results obtained indicate that the concurrent inclusion of fly ash and silica fume greatly reduced water penetration. The mixes containing slag also showed lower porosity and water absorption result, when compared to specimens containing fly ash only. Ternary concrete mixtures specimens showed much higher surface resistivity values than binary mixture specimens. These results suggest that reducing w/cm ratio, adding SCMs to concrete mixtures improved the concrete durability. The possibilities for the risks of corrosion initiation would be minimized (delayed) by prescriptive and then performance-based concrete blends with SCM materials optimized for service exposure in aggressive environments.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been using supplementary cementitious materials while constructing steel reinforced concrete marine bridge structures for over three decades. It has been found from previous studies that such additions in concrete mix makes the concrete more durable. This research was conducted to better understand the corrosion propagation stage of steel rebar embedded in high performance concrete exposed to high humidity environment. Reinforced concrete samples that were made with binary mixes, and ternary mixes were considered. None of these concretes had any admixed chloride to start with. An accelerated chloride transport method was used to drive chloride ions into the concrete so that chlorides reached and exceed the chloride threshold at the rebar surface and hence the corrosion process initiated after a short period of time (within few days to few months). Once corrosion has initiated the corrosion propagation can be studied. Electrochemical measurements such as rebar potential measurements, Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Galvanostatic Pulse (GP) measurements were taken at regular intervals (during and after the electro-migration process) to observe the corrosion propagation in each sample. During the propagation stage, reinforcement eventually reached negative potentials values (i.e., Ecorr≤ –0.200 Vsce) for all the samples. The corrected polarization resistance (Rc) was calculated by subtracting the concrete solution resistance from the apparent polarization resistance measured. The Rc values obtained from LPR and GP measurements were converted to corrosion current (as the corroding area is unknown), and these corrosion current values measured over time were used to obtain the calculated mass loss (using Faraday’s Law). A comparison was made of the calculated corrosion current obtained using the LPR and GP tests. A comparison of mass loss was also obtained from the values measured from LPR and GP tests. From the experimental results, it was observed that the corrosion current values were largely dependent on the length of solution reservoirs. For specimens cast with single rebar as well as three rebars, the most recent corrosion current values (measurements taken between July 2018 to October 2020) in general were larger for the rebars that are embedded in specimens prepared with SL mix, followed by specimens prepared with FA, T1, and T2 mixes respectively. The range of corrosion current values (most recent) were 0.8-33.8 μA for SL samples, 0.5-22.5 μA for FA samples, 0.8-14.8 μA for T1 samples, and 0.7-10.4 μA for T2 samples respectively. It was also found that the calculated mass loss values were larger for rebars that are embedded in specimens (single rebar and three rebars) prepared with SL mix, followed by specimens prepared with FA, T1, and T2 mixes respectively. The range of calculated mass loss values were 0.07-1.13 grams for SL samples, 0.06-0.62 grams for FA samples, 0.12-0.54 grams for T1 samples, and 0.06-0.40 grams for T2 samples respectively. A variety of corrosion related parameters (Ecorr, Rs, Rc, and Icorr) and calculated theoretical mass loss values observed, were due to the changing parameters such as concrete compositions, concrete cover thickness, rebar diameter, total ampere-hour applied, and reservoir size. The specimens showed no visual signs of corrosion such as cracks or corrosion products that reached the concrete surface. The actual size of the corroding sites was unknown as the specimens were not terminated for forensic analysis. The size of the corroding sites could affect how much corrosion products are required to crack the concrete. It is speculated that the corrosion products in liquid form penetrated the pore structure but did not build up enough to cause cracks. No cracks or corrosion bleed outs were observed within the monitored propagation period of approximately 1600 days.

In order to study the mechanical performance of dry-cast synthetic fiber reinforced concrete (SynFRC), samples of varying geometry, fiber content, and environmental exposure were developed and tested using the modified indirect tensile test. The samples created consisted of three different thicknesses (with two different geometries), and six different fiber contents that differed in either type, or quantity, of fibers. Throughout the duration of this research, procedures for inflicting detrimental materials into the concrete samples were employed at a number of different environments by implementing accelerated rates of deterioration using geometric adjustments, increased temperature exposure, wetting/drying cycles, and preparation techniques. The SynFRC samples studied were immersed in a wide range of environments including: the exposure of samples to high humidity and calcium hydroxide environments, which served at the control group, while the sea water, low pH, and barge conditioning environments were used to depict the real world environments similar to what would be experienced in the
Florida ecosystem. As a result of this conditioning regime, the concrete was able to imitate the real-world effects that the environments would have inflicted if exposed for long durations after an exposure period of only 20-24 months. Having adequately conditioned the samples in their respective environments, they were then tested (and forensically investigated) using the modified indirect tensile testing method to gather data regarding each sample’s toughness and load handling capability. By analyzing the results from each sample, the toughness was calculated by taking the area under the force displacement curve. From these toughness readings it was found that possible degradation occurred between the fiber-matrix interface of some of the concrete samples conditioned in the Barge environment. From these specimens that were immersed in the barge environment, a handful of them exhibited multiple episodes of strain softening characteristics within their force displacement curves. In regard to the fibers used within the samples, the PVA fibers tended to pull off more while the Tuff Strand SF fibers had the highest tendency to break (despite some of the fibers showing similar pull off and breaking failure characteristics). When it comes to the overall thickness of the sample, there was clear correlation between the increase in size and the increase in sample toughness, however the degree to which it correlates varies from sample to sample.

This research was conducted to better understand the corrosion propagation stage on dry-cast reinforced concrete pipes (DCRCPs) while exposed to high moisture conditions and chlorides. Corrosion initiation and propagation were studied in instrumented specimens obtained from segments of dry-cast reinforced concrete pipes. All specimens were subjected to accelerated chloride transport by the application of an electric field. Corrosion of the steel wire mesh initiated after a few days to a few months rather than several years. The specimens were then transferred to high moisture environments (immersed in water, high humidity and/or covered with wet sand) during the corrosion propagation stage. Reinforcement potentials, linear polarization resistance (LPR) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were carried out periodically. During the propagation stage in different exposures, reinforcement eventually reached negative potentials values (< –-0.55 Vsce), which suggest mass transfer limitations. These specimens showed no visual signs of corrosion such as cracks or corrosion products except the ones exposed to high humidity and laboratory environments; where some corrosion products have reached the concrete surface. Moreover, the apparent corrosion rate values obtained suggest high corrosion rates. No crack appearance on specimens exposed to other conditions could be explained by the porosity of the specimens; the corrosion products moved into saturated pores. It is speculated that although there might be mass transfer limitations present, the current demanded by the anode is being balanced by a larger cathode area due to macrocell effects since the high moisture conditions likely reduced the concrete resistivity and increased the throwing power. The corrected polarization resistance (Rc) was calculated by subtracting the solution resistance from the apparent polarization resistance measured. The Rc values measured over time were used to obtain the calculated mass loss (using Faraday’s Law). Most specimens were forensically analyzed and the measured mass loss compared to the calculated mass loss. The forensic examination includes the measurement of the actual corroding areas. The measured corroding areas were used to obtain corrosion current density (icorr) values. A comparison was made of the calculated corrosion current densities obtained using the linear polarization resistance method (LPR) and the extrapolation method from cyclic polarization tests. It was evident that most of the specimens’ corrosion rates were significantly high. The corrosion products filled the wet-pores inside the concrete and provide an explanation for no cracks or corrosion bleed outs being visually observed on the specimens.

Synthetic fiber reinforced concrete sample sets were exposed to two different environments. One set, of six samples, was exposed to filtered seawater in the lab with wet and dry cycles, while the other set of samples was exposed, on a barge, to the marine environment, in the intracoastal waterways, at SeaTech. The samples were exposed for 8 months, and then removed for experimental and mechanical testing. Upon removal, the barge samples were photographed to observe surface organisms that were attached to each sample. The barge samples, after cleaning, were then exposed to UV light to observe surface bacteria. The barge samples were also taken to Harbor Branch facility for DNA testing, and then sent in for sequencing. This sequencing was used to identify the organisms that were present inside the concrete samples. An Indirect Tensile Strength Test, IDT, was performed on both sets of samples to observe the first crack, max load, and fracture toughness of each sample. The Barge samples had a lower first crack, max load, and fracture toughness, which means that it took less force to break these samples, than the Seawater samples. As the fiber content increased, the Seawater samples grew stronger, while the Barge samples grew weaker. Also, as the fiber content increased, the biodiversity found on the surface of the Barge samples increased as well.

Chloride diffusivity in high performance concrete is influenced by the exposure environment, aside from the concrete mixture properties like, water to cementitious ratio (w/cm) and presence of add-on pozzolans. In this study, a set of concrete specimens (eleven-different concrete mixtures) were cast and exposed to three different environmental conditions (Tidal, Splash and Barge) in which the solution was seawater or brackish water. These exposures simulated environmental field conditions. After the specimens had been wet cured for 32 days (on average), the specimens were exposed to three different field simulation conditions for up to 54 months. The specimens under the field simulated conditions were cored at 6, 10, 18, 30 and 54 months at four elevations and then the chloride profiles were obtained from the cores. The apparent diffusivity values for each profile were calculated based on Fick’s 2nd law. Then, the aging factor “m” was calculated by regression analysis of the diffusivity values vs. time (days) plotted in the log10-log10 scale. This was done for samples exposed to the three different exposure conditions and then the results were compared side-by-side. First, the “m” values were calculated using the exposure duration. Then, to study the effect of including the curing time on “m” value, the curing time was added to the exposure time and a new calculation and “m” value was obtained and compared with the previous results. Moreover, upon inspecting the chloride diffusivity values vs. time plots, it was observed that in some cases, a number of data points showed significantly higher or lower values in comparison with the rest of the data points. It was decided to recalculate the “m” values for these cases, and to only use selected data points instead of all data points (i.e., remove outlier data points). In terms of chloride diffusivity value, it was found that in most cases the specimens with higher water to cementitious (w/cm) ratio showed higher diffusivity, as expected. Further, the presence of pozzolans had a noticeable impact on the chloride diffusivity by decreasing the diffusion rate due to microstructure changes that occurred with time. In terms of “m” values, the result for the field simulated conditions showed a range of “m” values dependent on the specimen’s mixture composition and the elevation at which the specimens were cored. It was observed that the chloride diffusivity declined with time and after a certain amount of time (in this research, almost after 30 months) the diffusivity reduction became small and a transition in the slope of the diffusivity trend appeared in a number of cases. After the transition, the diffusivity trend reached either a plateau zone or continued with a significantly lower slope, depending on the time, composition and exposure. It was found that the specimens under tidal and splash field simulation conditions that had only fly ash in their mixtures showed higher “m” values when compared with samples that contained fly ash and silica fume or fifty percent slag.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to observe, document and evaluate the mechanical behavior of Fiber Reinforced Concrete after being submitted to five different environments for 8 months. The specimens were molded and reinforced with synthetic fibers with a composition similar to that used for dry-cast concrete. Four different types of fibers with different composition were used. The fibers were mixed with the concrete to create the samples and the samples were exposed to different environmental conditions. Some of these environments were meant to increase degradation of the interface fiber-concrete to simulate longevity and imitate harsh environments or marine conditions. The environments consisted of: a high humidity locker (laboratory conditions), submerged in the Intracoastal Waterway in a barge (SeaTech), a wet/dry cycle in seawater immersion simulating a splash/tidal zone, low pH wet/dry seawater immersion cycle and samples submerged in calcium hydroxide solution. The latter three were in an elevated temperature tank (87-95°F) to increase degradation process. The specimens were monitored weekly and the environments were controlled. Then, specimens were evaluated using different mechanical testing as the Indirect Tensile (IDT) test method, compressive strength according to ASTM standards. Results of testing were documented and observed in this study for further understanding of mechanical properties of Fiber Reinforced concrete. Forensic observation of fiber distribution after the IDT tests were also performed.