Application of Electrochemical Method to Evaluate the Corrosion Conditions of Steel Bars

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to use an electrochemical method to evaluate corrosion conditions of steel bars in concrete. According to the description of ASTM C876, when the corrosion potential measurement values of the steel bar are below -350 mV, there may be a greater than 90 percent chance of corrosion. If the current impedance of the concrete is below 10 kΩ-cm, there is a possibility of corrosion in the steel bar. The test plan is as follows: to use concrete with different concentrations of chloride ions or applying an electric current to the steel bars to accelerate the corrosion reaction. In addition, we plan to use a solution of chloride ions to simulate sea tidal erosion on reinforced concrete structures by spraying. According to the experimental observations, concrete containing chloride ions is very likely to cause internal corrosion of the steel bar. The current impedance of the concrete can be used as the basis for assessing the internal humidity and moisture content of concrete. With an increase in curing time, the concrete's resistance correspondingly increases.