Influence of the Type of Cement and the Addition of an Air-Entraining Agent on the Effectiveness of Concrete Cover in the Protection of Reinforcement against Corrosion

Abstract

The concrete cover is the basic protection of the reinforcement against the influence of external factors that may lead to its corrosion. Its effectiveness depends mainly on the composition of the concrete mix, including the cement used. Depending on external environmental factors that may aggressively affect the structure, various types of cements and concrete admixtures are recommended. The paper presents the results of tests that allow us to assess the effect of the type of cement used and the air-entraining agent on the effectiveness of the concrete cover as a layer protecting the reinforcement against corrosion. In order to initiate the corrosion process, the reinforced concrete specimens were subjected to cycles of freezing and thawing in a sodium chloride solution. The degree of advancement of the corrosion process was investigated using the electrochemical galvanostatic pulse technique. Additionally, the microstructure of specimens taken from the cover was observed under a scanning electron microscope. The research has shown that in the situation of simultaneous action of chloride ions and freezing cycles, in order to effectively protect the reinforcement against corrosion, the application of both blast-furnace slag cement and an air-entraining agent performed the best.