EFFECT OF STEEL REBAR COMPOSITION AND SURFACE CONDITION ON THE CORROSION RATE OF RC STRUCTURES

Abstract eng:
This paper examines the influence of reinforcement steel elemental composition and surface condition (polished and unpolished) on the corrosion rate of reinforced concrete (RC) structures under the effect of severe environmental conditions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Several RC specimens were cast with five different steel elemental compositions (A to E) and two surface conditions. Half-cell potential and corrosion current was measured using GECOR device as a function of time. Highest corrosion potential on the negative side was obtained for steel source ‘D’ and ‘E’ which indicates that they were most prone to corrosion. On the other hand, steel source ‘A’ and ‘B’ were found to be the most immune to corrosion with lowest negative potential values. The steel source ‘C’ was having intermediate values of corrosion potential. Also, a change in the rate and behavior of half-cell corrosion potential was observed for different steel sources which can be attributed to the different chemistry and microstructure of steel sources and their specific reaction to the varying temperature conditions. Steels with polished and unpolished surface conditions showed a visible difference in the magnitude of corrosion. The polished surface was more resistant to corrosion giving lesser corrosion rates which can be attributed to a better and stronger passive layer developed on polished steel surface in comparison to the unpolished steel surface irrespective of chloride and temperature conditions. However, it is worth mentioning here that this difference in the magnitude of corrosion seemed to decrease with the rise in temperature.

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