Corrosion Protection Method of Reinforcing Steel in Concrete by Using Corrosion Inhibitors

Reinforced concrete is inherently a durable composite material. When properly designed for the environment to be exposed and carefully constructed, reinforced concrete is capable of giving maintenance-free performance. However, unintentionally using improper materials such as non-washed sea sand having much salt together with poor controlled quality, or the concrete are placed in highly severe environment such as marine atmosphere, the corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete becomes one of the most significant concerns of concrete. The purpose of this experimental research is to evaluate the performance of corrosion inhibitors for normal strength and high strength concrete, and to propose desirable measures for controlling corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete. Test specimens in normal strength and high strength concrete were made with and without corrosion inhibitors. The accelerated corrosion test for reinforcing steel in concrete was adopted in accordance with JCI-SC3, which required the periodic 20 cycles for 140 days. One cycle includes 3 days for the wetting condition of $65^{\circ}C$ and $90\%$ RH, and 4 days for the drying condition of $15^{\circ}C\;and\;60\%$ RH. It was observed from the test that corrosion inhibitors in normal strength concrete and high strength concrete showed excellent corrosion resistance for reinforcing steel in concrete, but the silica fume in high strength concrete was found to have a negligible corrosion resistance if not used with corrosion inhibitors, since the chloride corrosion threshold limit in concrete containing silica fume without corrosion inhibitor was found to be considerably smaller than that of the case with corrosion inhibitor.