Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Beitrag zu einem Tagungsband (2) (entfernen)
Sprache
- Englisch (2)
Referierte Publikation
- nein (2)
Schlagworte
- Steel reinforcement (2) (entfernen)
Investigations of corrosion on small cathodes in reinforced concrete - observations and suggestions
(2009)
Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete exposed to chloride containing environments is a serious
problem in civil engineering practice. The standards and guidelines contain only minimum
requirements regarding concrete quality and concrete cover. In very critical cases, for example the
ingress of chlorides, the application of different coatings is currently the only possibility to protect the
reinforced concrete structures. In this case the modelling of reinforcement corrosion would be more
practical. One sub-project of a DFG-research project (FOR 537) is currently performed at the Federal
Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). Aim of the sub-project is the description of
corrosion propagation and the characterization of the corrosion on specimens with small cathodes by
electrochemical parameters. The electrochemical parameters are determined by suitable
electrochemical measurements, considering concrete parameters as well as different environmental
conditions.
Alkali-activated materials such as geopolymers are currently receiving a lot of attention because of their potential to be used as binders for concrete with advantageous engineering properties and reduced manufacturing CO2 emissions. Knowledge of the durability of steel in these concretes and related properties of alkali-activated materials is a prerequisite for their application as building materials, if they are to be used for steel reinforced elements. However, to date only limited data exists on this topic. The present contribution focuses on durability-related transport properties of geopolymer-based mortars (as model systems for concrete). We report results of accelerated carbonation, rapid chloride migration (RCM) and air permeability measurements as well as porosity data for fly ash-based geopolymer mortars, including mixes containing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). In addition, we report polarization resistance data and corrosion potential vs. time curves for carbon steel bars embedded in two of the fly ash-based geopolymer mortars and a CEM I-based mortar (as reference).
Despite comparable total porosities, the carbonation depths, the chloride migration coefficients and the air permeabilities of the mortars differed significantly. In general, the addition of GGBFS to the binders improved the performance (decreased transport coefficients); however, this was not found to be true for the air permeability in all cases. This latter effect can be explained by drying damage of the C-(A-)S-H gel in GGBFS-containing binders. On the other hand, low transport coefficients can also be achieved by optimization of the binder formulation without the addition of GGBFS, which is also reflected in the material’s air permeability. Thus, there exists no simple correlation between air permeability (of harshly dried mortars) and durability-related transport coefficients for the studied alkali-activated materials.
The corrosion potential vs. time curves in combination with polarization resistance values reveal that the steel reinforcement in geopolymer mortars assumed a passive state. However, this happened considerably later than for steel in CEM I-based mortars. The free corrosion potential of carbon steel reinforcement in the geopolymer mortars had different values than the free corrosion potential values for the CEM I-based mortar for both the active and the passive state; possible reasons for this behavior are discussed.