Cathodic protection of reinforced concrete

Abstract

Steel reinforcement embedded in concrete is normally protected from corrosion by the formation of a thin passive surface film in the highly alkaline environment provided by the cement paste and pore solution surrounding the steel. Atmospheric carbon dioxide reacts with the alkaline cement paste reducing the level of alkalinity, a process known as carbonation. Steel in carbonated concrete is no longer protected and in the presence of moisture and oxygen can corrode freely. Alternatively, the presence of sufficient quantities of chloride ions at the surface of the steel can cause local depassivation of the reinforcement resulting in pitting corrosion. Chloride ions may be present as a result of admixtures in the original mix or permeation into the concrete from external sources, such as road de‐icing salts or sea spray.

C-FRCM Jacket Confinement for RC Columns under Impressed Current Cathodic Protection

“…Impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) has been found to be one of the most effective technologies to prevent steel corrosion in RC structures (Lambert and Paul 1995;Pedeferri 1996). The ICCP utilizes an electric field that makes the negatively charged chloride ions in the concrete move away from the surface of the rebar to the anode, thereby inhibiting the corrosion of the rebars (Chess and Broomfield 2003).…”

Optimised cathodic protection design for maximum bond performance in reinforced concrete

“…Cathodic protection is an effective technique for the corrosion protection of steel in concrete . It is important that these systems are correctly designed and installed as the strength and durability of concrete could potentially be reduced by over‐protection through the application of an excessive cathodic current, leading to softening of the C‐S‐H gel .…”

The Performance of Carbon Fibre Composites as ICCP Anodes for Reinforced Concrete Structures

“…Cathodic protection (CP) is a proven method of controlling corrosion in reinforced concrete through the application of a small DC current [1][2][3][4]. This can be applied either galvanically (e.g., by the preferential corrosion of zinc) or by an inert anode, referred to as impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) [5][6][7][8][9].…”