| Corrosion Prevention of Rebar in Concrete in Highly Corrosive Environments | ||
| Dr. Larry D. Stephenson, Project, Manager and Dr. Ashok Kumar, Program, Manager, U. S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center (ERDC-CERL) Two types of emerging technologies to mitigate corrosion in reinforced concrete structures were demonstrated at military installations in a highly corrosive environment. The first technology consisted of surface-applied corrosion inhibitors, while the second was a surface-applied sacrificial cathodic corrosion protection coating, originally developed by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA). A concrete culvert bridge located at an Air Force Base fuel tank farm was selected for demonstration of the penetrating corrosion inhibitor. Two concrete wall ring girders in a military warehouse building were selected for demonstration of both the sacrificial cathodic corrosion protection coating and the penetrating corrosion inhibitor. The corrosion inhibitor system consisted of (1) an ionic-anodic type of inorganic penetrating corrosion inhibitor, (2) an organic vapor phase penetrating corrosion inhibitor, and (3) a reactive silicone surface protection agent. The combined application of these three corrosion-inhibiting formulations provided a durable and multifunctional corrosion-inhibiting environment along with a reduction in water penetration rate. The sacrificial cathodic coating system consisted of an inorganic silicate vehicle containing zinc, aluminum, magnesium, and indium metal powders. The coating was applied to a reinforced concrete surface along with titanium mesh strips that were connected to the rebar to conduct cathodic current. Before and after measurements indicated corrosion rates of the rebar were reduced by a factor of 3.5 on the bridge, by 2.7 on ring girder 1, and by 1.9 on ring girder 2. Water permeation rates were also significantly reduced. A return on investment of 10.3 is projected, resulting from a service life increase for the treated structures. The results indicated that properly selected and applied penetrating corrosion inhibitors or sacrificial cathodic coating systems can be successfully used to extend the life of reinforced concrete structures by reducing corrosion rates. | ||