Reinforced concrete is one of the materials used most often in civil construction thanks to its unique low ratio of cost to mechanical performance. Although reinforced concrete elements and structures are expected to last for several generations, everyday experience shows that this is not true and repairing measures are often necessary after only few years of being in service.
The chemical stability of the steel reinforcements lies in the formation of the passivation layer whose stability is the key for durability. The passive layer degrades in low pH environments, that occurs in carbonated concrete, and in the presence of chlorides that are typical of marine environments.
Although carbonation and chlorides are the main factors that affect the durability of reinforced concrete structures, the exposure conditions have also to be considered for reliable lifetime predictions. Wetting/drying cycles and temperature can be cited among the most relevant environmental factors involved.
The present communication aims at reviewing the recent literature on the effect of temperature in both the concrete cover and the passive layer, to introduce new data on EIS measurements performed on samples exposed up to 15 years outdoors.
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