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Galvanic corrosion protection by embedded zinc anodes is an accepted technique for the corrosion protection of reinforcing steel in concrete. Galvanic currents flow between the zinc anode and the steel reinforcement due to the potential difference that is in the range of a few hundred mV. The ion distribution was studied on two steel reinforced concrete specimens admixed with 3 wt.% chloride/wt. cement and galvanically protected by a surface applied EZ-anode. On both specimens, a zinc anode was embedded and glued to the concrete surface by a geo-polymer-based chloride-free binder. At one specimen, the EZ-anode was operated for 2,5 years, the EZ-anode at the other specimen was not electrically connected to the reinforcement, this specimen serves as a reference. Both specimens have been stored under identical conditions. The ion distribution between the anode (EZ-anode) and cathode (steel reinforcement) was studied by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years. Results of the LIBS studies on the specimen with activated EZ-anode after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years and of the reference specimen after 2,5 years are reported. Results show that diffusion of ions contributes to the changes in the ion distribution but migration, especially of chlorides towards the EZ-anode is significant despite the weak electric field – several hundred millivolts - generated by the galvanic current. Results show that chloride ions accumulate near the zinc-anode as in water-insoluble zinc-hydroxy chlorides - Simonkolleit.
LIBS is a complementary method to XRF and can detect all elements without the need for vacuum conditions. Automated systems are already commercially available capable of scanning surfaces with a resolution of up to 0.1 mm within a few minutes. In addition to possible applications in R&D, LIBS is also used for practical applications in building materials laboratories and even on-site.
In view of ageing infrastructure facilities, a reliable assessment of the condition of concrete structures is of increasing interest. For concrete structures, the ingress of potential harmful ions is affecting the serviceability and eventually structural performance. Pitting corrosion induced by penetrating chlorides is the dominant deterioration mechanism. Condition assessment based on frequently performed chloride profiling can be useful to identify the extent and evolution of chloride ingress. This could prove to be more economical than extensive repairs, especially for important infrastructure facilities.
Currently the most common procedure for determining the chloride content is wet chemical analysis with standard resolution of 10 mm. The heterogeneity is not considered. LIBS is an economical alternative for determining the chloride content at depth intervals of 1 mm or less. It provides 2D distributions of multiple elements and can locate spots with higher concentrations. The results are directly correlated to the mass of binder and can also be performed on-site with a mobile LIBS-System.
The application of a LIBS-system is presented. Calibration is required for quantitative analysis. Concrete cores were drilled, sliced and analyzed to determine the 2D-distribution of harmful elements. By comparing the chloride ingress and the carbonation, the interaction of both processes can be visualized in a measurement that takes less than 10 minutes for a 50 mm x 100 mm drill core.
A leaflet on the use of LIBS for the chloride ingress assessment has been completed.
Corrosion of concrete reinforcement is one of the major damage mechanisms affecting both the load-bearing capacity and the serviceability of reinforced concrete structures significantly. The challenge of detecting corrosion is that the corrosion process in its various forms is not immediately visible, especially in the corrosion initiation phase inside the concrete. When externally discernible damages are observed during visual inspections on the structure, the extent of the damage inside the concrete is often already significant. Corrosion caused by carbonation often leads to severe discoloration of the surface or even large-area spalling of the concrete cover. In contrast, chloride-induced corrosion is usually difficult to observe visually, but can cause much more serious damage in less time. The effect occurs locally and can lead to weakening of the cross-section of the reinforcement. This, in turn, can cause sudden structural collapses without prior notice. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether there is protection against corrosion of the reinforcement in the concrete and to detect active corrosion in the structure at an early stage.
In the meanwhile, various non-destructive and minimally invasive testing methods are available to evaluate the resistance to penetration of corrosion-promoting pollutants and to detect active corrosion. In this paper, a bridge crossing the river Regen (Germany) is used as a case-study to demonstrate how the information obtained applying different testing methods can be combined and evaluated in the context of structural reassessments. Both the results of the permeability testing (Torrent tester) and the electrical resistance measurement (Wenner probe) are considered, as well as active corrosion areas are localized using the half-cell potential mapping combined with the concrete cover measurement with the eddy current method and ground penetrating radar (GPR). The results are evaluated using drill cores and in addition laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied to obtain information about possible ion transport in the concrete.