Corrosion Inhibitors for Steel in Concrete (EFC 35)

The use of inhibitors for rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures is a new field of application and this new volume provides a State of the Art Report on this subject. Corrosion of steel in concrete is one of the major problems for infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, housing etc. since it leads to spalling of the concrete and loss in cross section of the steel that may cause structural and safety problems. The steel in concrete generally resists corrosion as a result of a passive layer that develops on the metal surface in the alkaline environment of the concrete. Corrosion can occur if these conditions are disturbed, for example, in the presence of chlorides or with carbonation of concrete. Traditional repair methods consist in removing the deteriorated concrete and replacing it but these can be laborious, noisy and very costly. To avoid these disadvantages new methods have been developed in recent years. These include electrochemical procedures and, increasingly, the use of inhibitors. The use of inhibitors for rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures is a new field of application and this new volume provides a State of the Art Report on this subject. The report, under the editorship of Prof. Bernhard Elsener, was prepared by a Task Group of the EFC Working Party on Corrosion of Reinforcement in Concrete. In a literature review it describes inorganic and organic chemicals that have been proposed and examined as well as the commercial corrosion inhibitors that are available on the market. Protection mechanism and possible effects of inhibitors on concrete properties are described. Practical experience with inhibitors for steel in concrete and the long term effectiveness are considered. The various test methods for evaluating the behaviour of the inhibitors are described and critically assessed. In a rapidly evolving field this State of the Art Report, based mainly on independent not commercial literature, will be of value to corrosion engineers and civil engineers concerned with maintenance and repair of reinforced concrete structures.