Corrosion of Steel Reinforcing in Concrete and Masonry Structures

摘要

Corrosion of metallic embedments in concrete and masonry structures is recognized as one of the main causes for damage to the surrounding material ultimately resulting in aesthetic damage, structural failures, safety hazards and significant costs. In addition, the historic and aesthetic value of some of the affected structures can be significant and sometimes it is irreplaceable. More than 20 billion dollars per year are spent in the US alone repairing damaged concrete structures. Most of this is the result of steel reinforcement corrosion. This paper will address the agents, mechanisms and process of corrosion of metallic components in concrete and masonry structures in a variety of environments. In addition the corrosion process will be analyzed from a lifecycle perspective: initiation, propagation and ultimate impact on the overall structure. Mitigation technologies will be described and case histories will be presented along with costs associated with mitigation of this problem at each stage of the corrosion lifecycle.