Analysis of Effect of Protective Coatings on the Rate of Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Sewers Microscopic Study

Abstract

Microbial induced corrosion (MIC) in reinforced concrete (RC) sewers are increasing in occurrence and severity which is leading to significant economic losses. Being able to prevent or significantly reduce the rate of MIC in RC sewers will be of great help in finding a suitable sustainable solution. This study has investigated the effect of MIC; sulphide corrosion, on RC sewers through analytical techniques; scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The aim was to create a sustainable solution; protective epoxy coating (PEC), that will be capable of preventing or significantly reducing the MIC in RC sewers. The PEC based solution was able to significantly reduce the MIC in RC sewers. Furthermore, the test results also outlined that even in the coated sample, crown corrosion was more as compared to the corrosion of the submerged portion of the sample.