• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.16 no.4 s.82
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• pp.549-555
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• 2004

Cement of three alkalinities (equivalent alkalinities of 0.36,0.52 and 0.97) was employed in fabricating a set of classical G109 type specimens. To-date, these have been subjected to a one week wet-one week dry cyclic pending using 15 w/o NaCl solution. At the end of the dry period, potential and macro-cell current were measured to indicate whether the top reinforcing steel was in the passive or active state. Once this bar became active, the specimen was autopsied and the extent of corrosion was documented. Subsequent to visual inspection, concrete powder samples were collected from the upper region of the top rebar trace; and at a certain times concrete cores were taken from non-reinforced specimens. Using these, determinations were made of (1) critical chloride concentration for corrosion initiation ($Cl_{th}^-$), (2) effective chloride diffusion coefficient ($D_e$), and (3) pore water alkalinity ($[OH^-]$). The pore water alkalinity was strongly related to the alkali content of cement that was used in the mix. The chloride concentration, ($Cl^-$), was greater at active than at passive sites, presumably as a consequence of electro migration and accumulation of these species at active site subsequent to corrosion initiation. Accordingly, ($Cl^-$) at passive sites was considered indicative of the threshold concentration fur corrosion initiation. The $Cl_{th}^-$ was increased with increasing Time-to-corrosion ($T_i$). Consequently, the HA(High Alkalinity) specimens exhibited the highest $Cl_{th}^-$ and the NA(Normal Alkalinity) was the least. This range exceeds what has previously been reported in North America. In addition, the effective diffusion coefficient, $D_e$, was about 40 percent lower for concrete prepared with the HA cement compared to the NA and LA(Low Alkalinity) ones.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.245-250
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• 2004

A series of classical G109 type concrete specimens was exposed to cyclic wet and dry ponding with 15 w/o NaCl solution for approximately five years. Mix design variables included 1) three cement alkalinities (EqA of 0.97, 0.52, and 0.36) and 2) three water-cement ratios (0.50, 0.41, and 0.37). To determine the corrosion initiation time, corrosion potential and macro-cell current between top and bottom bars were monitored. Subsequent to corrosion initiation, specimens were autopsied and visually inspected. Concrete powder samples were collected from top rebar trace and chloride concentration was measured. Also, time-to-corrosion, $T_i$, for specimens of the individual mix designs was represented using Weibull analysis. Time-to-corrosion was a distributed parameter; and because of this, corrosion initiation of four identical specimens for each mix varied, often over a relatively wide range. Specimens fabricated using the lowest water cement ratio and the highest alkalinity cement exhibited the longest time-to-corrosion initiation and the highest chloride threshold levels. Time-to-corrosion did not increase monotonically with cement alkalinity, however, presumably as a consequence of relatively high $Cl^-$ binding in the lower pore water pH range. The chloride threshold level, $Cl_{th}$, increased with increasing $T_i$ and, consequently, was greatest for the highest cement alkalinity specimens.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.17 no.3 s.87
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• pp.481-485
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• 2005

The present study examines the distribution of calcium hydroxide, unhydrated cement grain and porosity at the steel-concrete interface. The formation of calcium hydroxide has been confirmed by microscopic analysis using BSE images containing the ITZ between the steel and concrete. It was found that calcium hydroxide does not form a layer on the steel surface, different from the hypothesis that has been available in investigating the corrosion of steel in concrete, ranging from 5 to $10\%$ within the steel surface. Moreover, the high level of porosity at the ITZ was observed, accounting for $30\%$, which may reduce the buffering capacity of cement hydration products against a local fall in the pH. These findings may imply that the mole of ($Cl^-$) :($OH^-$) in pore solution as chloride threshold level lead to wrong judgement or to a wide range of values.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 1999

The objectives of this study were to evaluate exposures to airborne methylene chloride and postshift carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in blood of workers engaged in processes using blowing or cleaning agents, and to investigate correlation between methylene chloride concentrations and the blood COHb levels of workers. The geometric mean (GM) of workers' exposures (8 hour-time weighted averages, TWA) to airborne methylene chloride during cleaning molds using rags wetted with the solvent in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foam (GM = 61.4 ppm), during operating the dip tank for cleaning molds in the manufacture of lens (GM = 61.0 ppm), and during cleaning the blowing nozzles by spraying the solvent in the manufacture of shoes (GM = 117.2 ppm) were exceeded the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value ($TLV^{(R)}$)-Time Weighted Average (TWA) (50 ppm). The COHb levels were significantly different among groups (p<0.05). The average COHh levels in blood of non-smoking workers were 2.0% in. low-level (<50 ppm) exposure group, and 3.9 % in high-level (>50ppm) exposure group. The average COHb levels in smoking workers were 3.1% in low-level exposure group, and 4.8% in high-level exposure group. The blood COHb levels of no-exposed workers to methylene chloride were 1.8% in non-smoking group, and 2.8% in smoking group. It was found that the COHb level dependeds on the methylene chloride concentration and smoking habit, and was highly correlated with methylene chloride concentration in air. The correlation coefficient was 0.81 among non-smoking workers. The estimated COHb level (3.6%) and 95% upper confidence limit (4.0%) corresponding to TLV-TWA of methylene chloride exceeded the current ACGIH Biological Exposure Index (COHb 3.5%) for carbon monoxide. The estimated COHb level (5.4%) at 100 ppm exceeded the standard (5%) recommended by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for preventing adverse cardiovascular effect. The estimated COHb value and 95% upper confidence limit at 25 ppm of the Occupational Safety and Health. Adminstration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit-TWA (PEL-TWA) were 2.6% and 3.0%, respectively. It is suggested that COHb in blood be kept below 3.0% to comply with OSHA PEL-TWA.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.305-313
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• 2017

A robust finite element based reinforced concrete bridge deck corrosion initiation model is applied for time-dependent probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The model is focused on uncertainties in the governing parameters that include variation of high performance concrete (HPC) diffusion coefficients, concrete cover depth, surface chloride concentration, holidays in reinforcements, coatings and critical chloride threshold level in several steel reinforcements. The corrosion initiation risk is expressed in the form of probability over intended life span of the bridge deck. Conducted study shows the time-dependent sensitivity analysis to evaluate the significance of governing parameters on chloride ingress rate, various steel reinforcement protection and the corrosion initiation likelihood. Results from this probabilistic analysis provide better insight into the effect of input parameters variation on the estimate of the corrosion initiation risk for the design of concrete structures in harsh chloride environments.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.585-593
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• 2007

This paper presents a model for durability evaluation of concrete structures exposed to marine environment, considering mainly a build-up of surface chloride $(C_s)$ as well as diffusion coefficient (D) and chloride threshold level $(C_{lim})$. In this study, time dependency of $C_s$ and D were extensively studied for more accurate evaluation of service life of concrete structures. An analytical solution to the Fick's second law was presented for prediction of chloride ingress for time varying $C_s$. For the time varying $C_s$, a refined model using a logarithm function for time dependent $C_s$ was proposed by the regression analysis, and averaging integrated values of the D with time over exposed duration were calculated and then used for prediction of the chloride ingress to consider time dependency of D. Durability design was also carried out for railway concrete structures exposed to marine environment to ensure 100 years of service life by using the proposed models along with the standard specification on durability in Korea. The proposed model was verified by the so-called performance-based durability design, which is widely used in Europe. Results show that the standard specification underestimates durability performances of concrete structures exposed to marine environment, so the cover depth design using current durability evaluation in the standard specifications is very much conservative. Therefore, it is found that utilizing proposed models considering time dependent characteristics of $C_s$ and D can evaluate service lift of concrete structures in marine environment more accurately.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2009

Chloride induced corrosion of steel reinforcement inside concrete is a major concern for concrete structures exposed to a marine environment. It is well known that transport of chloride ions in concrete occurs mainly through ionic/molecular diffusion, as a gradient of chloride concentration in the concrete pore solution is set. In the process of chloride transport, a portion of chlorides are bound in cement matrix then to be removed in the pore solution, and thus only the rest of chlorides which are not bound (i.e. free chlorides) leads the ingress of chlorides. However, since the measurement of free/bound chloride content is much susceptible to environmental conditions, chloride profiles expressed in total chlorides are evaluated to use in many studies In this study, the capacity of chloride binding in cement matrix was monitored for 150 days and then quantified using the Langmuir isotherm to determine the portions of free chlorides and bound chlorides at given total chlorides and the redistribution of free chlorides. Then, the diffusion of chloride ion in concrete was modeled by considering the binding capacity for the prediction of chloride profiles with the redistribution. The predicted chloride profiles were compared to those obtained from conventional model. It was found that the prediction of chloride profiles obtained by the model has shown slower diffusion than those by the conventional ones. This reflects that the prediction by total chloride may overestimate the ingress of chlorides by neglecting the redistribution of free chlorides caused by the binding capacity of cement matrix. From the evaluation, it is also shown that the service life prediction using the free chloride redistribution model needs different expression for the chloride threshold level which is expressed by the total chlorides in the conventional diffusion model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.221-223
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• 2011

In this study, in order to comprehend performance of corrosion inhibitor, the experiment study was conducted about corrosion characteristic of 3 steps(0.0, norm 1/2, norm) compared to organic corrosion inhibitor standard use of liquid and molar 3 steps(0.0, 0.3, 0.6%) of Chloride by added amount of inorganic corrosion inhibitor by the corrosion inhibitor types about 2.4kg/㎥, 4.8kg/㎥ based on Chloride ion content 1.2kg/㎥ for service life prediction of concrete structure by using Poteniostat.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.245-253
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• 2009

The importance of chloride ions in the corrosion of steel in concrete has led to the concept for chloride threshold level (CTL). The CTL can be defined as the content of chlorides at the steel depth that is necessary to sustain local passive film breakdown and hence initiate the corrosion process. Despite the importance of the CTL, due to the uncertainty determining the actual limits in various environments for chloride-induced corrosion, conservative values such as 0.4% by weight of cement or 1.2 kg in 1 $m^3$ concrete have been used in predicting the corrosion-free service life of reinforced concrete structures. The paper studies the CTL for blended cement concrete by comparing the resistance of cementitious binder to the onset of chloride-induced corrosion of steel. Mortar specimens were cast with centrally located steel rebar of 10 mm in diameter using cementitious mortars with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and mixed mortars replaced with 30% pulverized fuel ash (PFA), 60% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and 10% silica fume (SF), respectively, at 0.4 of a free W/B ratio. Chlorides were admixed in mixing water ranging 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0% by weight of binder(Based on $C1^-$). Specimens were curd 28 days at the room temperature, wrapped in polyethylene film to avoid leaching out of chloride and hydroxyl ions. Then the corrosion rate was measured using the polarization resistance method and the order of CTL for binder was determined. Thus, CTL of OPC, 60%GGBS, 30%PFA and 10%SF were determined by 1.6%, 0.45%, 0.8% and 2.15%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.713-719
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• 2008

Various types of coatings have been developed for use as reinforcement in concrete and to resist chloride environment. The most commonly used coatings are inhibited and sealed cement slurry coating, cement polymer compositing coating and epoxy coating. Cement slurry offers passive protection, epoxy coating offers barrier protection whereas polymer coating offers both passive protection and barrier protection. Moreover, damage during handling of the steel may result in disbondment of the epoxy coating, which would increase the risk of localized corrosion. In the present study, inhibiting technique was used to increase the calcium hydroxide content at the interface up to 20%. Calcium hydroxide provides a high buffering capacity that resists a local fall in pH and thus maintains the alkaline environment necessary to prevent chloride corrosion. This study examines the use of a calcium hydroxide coating on the steel surface to enhance the pH buffering capacity of steel-concrete interface. Finally, the chloride threshold level (CTL) of polymer inhibitive coating calcium hydroxide is evaluated.