Electrochemical Protection of Steel in Concrete

Abstract

Corrosion of buildings made of reinforced concrete is a big issue all over the world, necessitating large sums of money for repair and restoration. This study is concerned with the finding of the optimum choice of the electrochemical chloride Removal (ECR) current and its duration of application. For 1 to 4 weeks, three consistent ECR current density levels of 100, 200, and 300 A/cm2 were pulsed to a reinforced concrete specimen of dimensions 150mm x 150mm x 300mm containing 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. In order to ensure the progress of the applied procedure, the left-out chloride content around the reinforcement was examined. To investigate the corrosion status following ECR, open circuit potential, and corrosion rate observations were taken. Additionally, the pH around the reinforcement and resistance of concrete to electrical conductance was measured. The ideal current density and duration were determined based on the above test findings. To test the efficiency of the ECR process, a 1m x 1m x.1m slab is taken for further experimental examination employing electrochemical investigations like Tafel, AC Impedance, and LPR measurement.