Multiple Corrosion-Protection Systems for Reinforced-Concrete Bridge Components: Laboratory Tests
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 26, Issue 11
Abstract
Techniques for making epoxy-coated reinforcement more corrosion resistant, including epoxies with increased adhesion to the steel; concrete with a decreased water cement ratio; concrete containing calcium nitrite or one of two organic corrosion inhibitors; bars with a primer coating containing microencapsulated calcium nitrite applied prior to epoxy application; and bars coated with zinc prior to epoxy application are compared based on the chloride content required to initiate corrosion and corrosion losses using the southern exposure and cracked beam tests. The coatings on all bars are penetrated prior to testing to simulate damage in the field. The results indicate that, even when damaged, conventional epoxy coatings result in much higher concrete chloride contents at corrosion initiation and much lower corrosion losses than exhibited by conventional reinforcement. A reduced water-cement ratio, corrosion inhibitors, and the primer coating containing microencapsulated calcium nitrite provide protection in uncracked but less or no protection in cracked concrete. The bars coated with zinc prior to epoxy application exhibit relatively high corrosion rates because of preferential losses to the zinc, and no improvement in corrosion performance is observed for epoxies with increased adhesion.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
Major funding for this research was provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration under Contract No. DTFH61-03-C-00131, and the Kansas Department of Transportation under Contract Nos. C1131 and C1281, with technical oversight by Dan Scherschligt and Don Whisler. Additional support for this project was provided by the Concrete Steel Reinforcing Institute, DuPont Powder Coatings, 3M Corporation, Valspar Corporation, BASF Construction Chemicals, W. R. Grace & Co., Hycrete Technologies, Western Coating, Inc., and LRM Industries.
References
AASHTO. (2011). “Standard method of test for sampling and testing for chloride ion in concrete and concrete raw materials.” Standard specifications for transportation materials and methods of sampling and testing, Washington, DC, 925–931.
ASTM. (2007). “Standard test method for determining effects of chemical admixtures on corrosion of embedded steel reinforcement in concrete exposed to chloride environments.” G109-07, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2012a). “Standard specification for deformed and plain carbon-steel bars for concrete reinforcement.” A615/A615M-12, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM. (2012b). “Standard specification for deformed and plain stainless-steel bars for concrete reinforcement.” A955/A955M-12e1, West Conshohocken, PA.
Balma, J., Darwin, D., Browning, J. P., and Locke, C. E. (2005). “Evaluation of corrosion protection systems and corrosion testing methods for reinforcing steel in concrete.”, Univ. of Kansas Center for Research, Lawrence, KS.
Clear, K. C. (1992). “Effectiveness of epoxy-coated reinforcing steel.” Concr. Int., 14(5), 58–64.
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute. (1995). Adhesion loss mechanisms of epoxy coatings on rebar surfaces, Surface Science Western, Schaumberg, IL.
Darwin, D., Browning, J., O’Reilly, M., Locke, C. E., and Virmani, Y. P. (2011). “Multiple corrosion protection systems for reinforced concrete bridge components.” Pub. No. FHWA-HRT-11-060, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
Darwin, D., Browning, J., O’Reilly, M., Xing, L., and Ji, J. (2009). “Critical chloride corrosion threshold of galvanized reinforcing bars.” ACI Mater. J., 106(2), 176–183.
Jones, D. A. (1992). Principles and prevention of corrosion, Macmillan Publishing, New York.
Kepler, J. L., Darwin, D., and Locke, C. E. (2000). “Evaluation of corrosion protection methods for reinforced concrete highway structures.”, Univ. of Kansas Center for Research, Lawrence, KS.
Krauss, P. D., and Rogalla, E. A. (1996). “Transverse cracking in newly constructed bridge decks.”, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC.
Lindquist, W. D., Darwin, D., Browning, J., and Miller, G. G. (2006). “Effect of cracking on chloride content in concrete bridge decks.” ACI Mater. J., 103(6), 467–473.
McDonald, D. B., Pfeifer, D. W., and Sherman, M. R. (1998). “Corrosion evaluation of epoxy-coated, metallic clad and solid metallic reinforcing bars in concrete.” Pub. No. FHWA-RD-98-153, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
O’Reilly, M., Darwin, D., Browning, J., and Locke, C. E. (2011). “Performance of multiple corrosion protection systems for reinforced concrete bridge decks.”, Univ. of Kansas Center for Research, Lawrence, KS.
Oh, B. H., Jang, S. Y., and Shin, Y. S. (2003). “Experimental investigation of the threshold chloride concentration for corrosion initiation in reinforced concrete structures.” Mag. Concr. Res., 55(2), 117–124.
Perenchio, W. F. (1992). “Corrosion of reinforcing bars in concrete.” Annual Seminar, BASF, Cleveland.
Pfeifer, D. W., and Scali, M. J. (1981). “Concrete sealers for protection of bridge structures.”, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Rodriguez, O., and Hooton, D. (2003). “Influence of cracks on chloride ingress into concrete.” ACI Mater. J., 100(2), 120–126.
Sagues, A. A., Powers, R. G., and Kessler, R. (1994). “Corrosion processes and field performance of epoxy-coated reinforcing steel in marine structures.”, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Houston.
Schiessl, P. (1992). Review of the KC, Inc., reports on effectiveness of epoxy-coated reinforcing steel, Canadian Strategic Highway Research Program, Ottawa.
Schmitt, T. R., and Darwin, D. (1999). “Effect of material properties on cracking in bridge decks.” J. Bridge Eng., 8–13.
Smith, J. L., and Virmani, Y. P. (1996). “Performance of epoxy-coated rebars in bridge decks.”, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
Somuah, S., Boah, J., Leblanc, P., Al-Tayyib, A., and Al-Mana, A. (1991). “Effect of sulfate and carbonate ions on reinforcing steel corrosion as evaluated using ac impedance spectroscopy.” ACI Mater. J., 88(1), 49–55.
Sprinkel, M. M., Weyers, R., Blevins, C., Ramniceanu, A., and Weyers, S. (2010). “Failure and repair of deck closure pour on interstate 81.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, 119–128.
Virmani, Y. P., and Clemeña, G. G. (1998). “Corrosion protection—Concrete bridges.”, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC.
Weyers, R. E., Zemajtis, J., and Drumm, R. O. (1995). “Service lives of concrete sealers.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, 54–59.
Yu, H., and Hartt, W. H. (2007). “Effects of reinforcement and coarse aggregates on chloride ingress into concrete and time-to-corrosion: Part 1—Spatial chloride distribution and implications.” Corrosion, 63(9), 843–849.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 26 • Issue 11 • November 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 8, 2013
Accepted: Nov 26, 2013
Published online: Nov 28, 2013
Published in print: Nov 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Nov 5, 2014
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.