Treatment of Reinforcing Bars During Construction of Concrete Structures to Prevent Corrosion

混凝土结构中钢筋的腐蚀是一个对私营和公共部门都有数百万美元影响的问题。来自天然(海水或海洋环境)或人造(除冰盐)来源的氯化物入侵会导致钢表面保护性氧化铁膜的破裂。随后的反应产生大量的腐蚀产物，导致覆盖的混凝土开裂和剥落，并降低整个结构的有效强度。在拟议的计划中，将研究一种在混凝土养护初期提高钢筋耐腐蚀性的电化学方法。该方法是通过施加阳极电位对钢筋表面进行原位钝化。这种处理将增强钢筋上的保护性氧化铁膜，使其更厚、更均匀。这种处理方法在提高钢筋耐腐蚀性方面的有效性将在模拟环境和砂浆-钢筋样品中进行评估。

The corrosion of steel reinforcing bars in concrete structures is a problem with multi-million dollar impact in both the private and public sectors. Chloride intrusion from natural (seawater or marine environments) or man-made (deicing salts) sources contributes to the breakdown of the protective iron oxide film on the steel. The subsequent reactions create voluminous corrosion products, causing cracking and spalling of the overlying concrete and reducing the effective strength of the entire structure. In the proposed program, an electrochemical method for enhancing the corrosion resistance of the rebar during the initial concrete curing period will be investigated. The method is in situ passivation of the rebar surface by application of an anodic potential. This treatment will enhance the protective iron oxide film on the rebar by making it thicker and more uniform. The effectiveness of this treatment in enhancing the corrosion resistance of rebar will be evaluated in simulated environments and in mortar-rebar samples.