Francisco Presuel-Moreno

Effects of Concrete Mix on Initiation of Reinforcement Corrosion and Chloride Threshold Level

The time-to-corrosion initiation (Ti) of reinforcement and the chloride threshold content (Cth) of a series of G109 concrete slabs were experimentally investigated. Results indicate that Ti is increased by decreasing water-to-cement ratio or increasing cement alkalinity. The effects of a superplasticizer on initiation of corrosion of reinforcing steel bars (rebar) depend on concrete mix. Measurements reveal that chloride contents at both active (anodic) and passive (cathodic) sites increase linearly with the logarithm of Ti regardless of concrete mix, whereas chloride contents measured at anodic sites are always greater than at cathodic sites. Defects at or nearby corrosion anodic spots could facilitate chloride accumulation: rebar corrosion would occur earlier than if no defect were present. Further analysis reveals that the weakest-link theory is applicable to predict the probability of initiation of rebar corrosion, as indicated by the Weibull distributions of Ti and Cth.

Effect of w/cm and Composition on Correlations of Concrete Electrical Resistivity and Chloride Migration Coefficients

The performance with regard to chloride penetration of specimens made with three base compositions (supplementary cementitious materials: 20% fly ash, 20% fly ash + 8% silica fume, and 50% slag replacement by weight of cement), and water-to-cementitious ratios of 0.35, 0.41, or 0.47 were investigated here. In this investigation, laboratory experiments were carried out to study the correlation between electrical resistivity and non-steady state chloride ion migration coefficients (Dnssm) of concrete. NT Build 492 was used to determine chloride migration coefficients. Rapid migration tests and resistivity measurements were performed several times over two years, and the non-steady state migration coefficient (Dnssm) vs. resistivity values were correlated. Experimental results show that a good correlation was found between electrical resistivity and Dnssm. Based on the relationships developed from this investigation, it appears that the correlations are age and composition dependent.