CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL

Concrete is widely and commonly used man made construction material in

the world. It is obtained by mixing cementitious material, water and aggregate in
required proportions. The mixture when placed forms and allowed to cure hardness
into a rock like mass known as concrete. It has high compressive strength and low
tensile strength. To develop the tensile stresses the concrete is strengthened by the
steel bars called reinforced cement concrete. Today, the large numbers of civil
infrastructures around the world in a state of serious deterioration due to
carbonation, chloride attack, etc.

Corrosion of reinforcement is the main reason for the destruction of

structural concrete. It causes a major economic cost for maintenance. The effect of
this deterioration on residual capacity is therefore a matter of concern to those
charged with ensuring safe operation of concrete structures

1.2 OBJECTIVES
 To study the effect of bar coating on corrosion of steel in concrete within
a chlorinated solution.
 To investigate the mechanical properties of test specimens such as
corrosion, compressive strength & bond strength between concrete and the steel.
 To reduce the corrosion in rebars by applying Zinc coatings.
1.3 MECHANISM OF CORROSION

1.3.1 Anodic reaction

 At active sites on the bar, called anodes, iron atoms lose electrons and
move into the surrounding concrete as ferrous ions. The electrons
remain in the bar and flow to sites called cathodes, where they combine
with water and oxygen in the concrete
 To maintain neutrality, the Fe2+ migrate through the concrete pore water
to the cathodic sites where they combine to form FeOH, or rust.
 This hydroxide tends to react further with oxygen to form higher oxides.
 The increases in volume as the reaction products react further with
dissolved oxygen leads to internal stress within the concrete that may be
sufficient to cause cracking and spalling of the concrete cover.

Figure 1.1 Mechanism of Corrosion

1.4 FACTORS AFFECTING CORROSION

1.4.1 STEEL

 It is well known fact that some metals will corrode faster that others.

 It is a less known fact that variations in size and shape of metal can
indirectly affect is corrosion resistance.

 Thick structural sections are more susceptible to corrosive attack that thin
sections because variations in physical characteristics are greater.

1.4.2 PERMEABILITY

 Permeability of concrete is mainly determined by the porosity of concrete

and its pore size distribution which are dependent on the ratio of w/c.

 Low w/c ,better compaction ,and use of mineral admixtures could lower the
permeability of the cover concrete, therefore they are the option to improve
the corrosion resistance of reinforced concrete.

1.4.3 MOISTURE

 The moisture of concrete has a complicated influence on the corrosion of

steel in the concrete. The water absorption into concrete from outside
environment can rapidly increase the rate of corrosion of reinforcing steel to
the level that will cause cracking and spalling.

 Presence of moisture is a precondition for corrosion to take place because

concrete can act as electrolyte in electrochemical cell only if it contains
some moisture in pores.

 Corrosion can neither occurs in dry concrete or in submerged concrete.

1.5 EFFECT OF CORROSION ON CONCRETE PROPERTIES

1.5.1 PITTING

 Pitting corrosion is a localized form of corrosion by which cavities or holes

are produced in the material. Corrosion pits can be harmful by acting as
stress risers

 Fatigue and stress corrosion cracking may initiate at the base of corrosion
pits. One pit in a large system can be enough to produce the catastrophic
failure of that system

1.5.2 STRENGTH LOSS

Corrosion is known for reducing the cross-sectional area of the steel bars
embedded in concrete. This reduction affects the role of the rebars, causing
strength loss.

1.5.3 LOSS OF BOND BETWEEN CONCRETE AND STEEL

 The effect of corrosion on the behavior of concrete and its durability is very
essential

 Corrosion has a significant influence on the bonding performance of steel

reinforcing in concrete with over 50% reductions in bond strength observed
associated with 16%reduction in average cross-section due to corrosion.This
loss of bond can cause cracking and spalling as well.

1.5.4 SPALLING CRACKING AND FAILURE

 As moisture starts entering into concrete through pores, rust begins to form
around the steel bar.
  As it continuously accumulates, stress is induced causing cracks and spalling
in the concrete which can lead to failure in some cases.

1.6 PROTECTION AGAINST CORROSION

 Selection of right material of construction

 Surface coating
 Corrosion inhibitors
 Electrical protection

1.6.1 SELECTION OF RIGHT MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION

The right material of construction should have the following properties: (1)
high mechanical strength (2) high corrosion resistance (3) low cost

1.6.2 SURFACE COATINGS

Electroplating

 Electroplating is the method of coating one metal with another. It is most

commonly used for decorative purposes, appearance and protection.
Electroplated items include chrome bumpers, jewelry, electronics, circuit
boards and airplane parts.
Primer
 A primer is a paint containing a pigment such as lead oxide (Pb3O4 red
lead) or zinc chromate which oxidizes the steel surface and inhibits its
corrosion. Besides, the primer film increases the strength of the bond
between steel and final paint film. When the primer film dries a thick film of
the required paint is applied over the primer. Polymers such as alkyd resins,
PVC, polyethylene, polyesters, acrylics, polyurethanes, chlorinated rubber,
epoxy resins, etc. are used in paint manufacture. For severe conditions such
 marine and industrial atmosphere, a paint containing epoxy resin (water
resistant) is suitable.

1.6.3 CORROSION INHIBITORS

 Corrosion inhibitors are substances that are added in small amount (e.g
0.1%) to the corrosive medium stop or slow down electrochemical corrosion
reactions on a metal surface. Some of the compounds are ZnSO 4, MgSO4
and Ca(HCO3)2.

1.6.4 ELECTRICAL PROTECTION

Sacrificial Anode Method

 A galvanic cathodic protection system makes use of the corrosive potentials

for different metals. Without cathodic protection, one area of the structure
exists at a more negative potential than another, and corrosion results. If,
however, a much less inert object (that is, with much more negative
potential, such as a magnesium anode) is placed adjacent to the structure to
be protected, such as a pipeline, and a metallic connection (insulated wire) is
installed between the object and the structure, the object will become the
anode and the entire structure will become the cathode. That is, the new
object corrodes sacrificially to protect the structure. Thus, the galvanic
cathode protection system is called a sacrificial anode cathodic protection
system because the anode corrodes sacrificially to protect the structure.
Galvanic anodes are usually made of either magnesium or zinc because of
these metals’ higher potential compared to steel structures
Impressed Current System
 Impressed current cathodic protection systems use the same elements as the
galvanic protection system; only the structure is protected by applying a
 current to it from an anode. The anode and the structure are connected by an
insulated wire, as for the galvanic system. Current flows from the anode
through the electrolyte onto the structure, just as in the galvanic system. The
main difference between galvanic and impressed current systems is that the
galvanic system relies on the difference in potential between the anode and
the structure, whereas the impressed current system uses an external power
source to drive the current. The external power source is usually a rectifier
that changes input AC power to the proper DC power level. The rectifier can
be adjusted so that proper output can be maintained during the system’s life.
Impressed current cathodic protection system anodes typically are high-
silicone cast iron or graphite

1.7 EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS ON STEEL CORROSION

1.7.1 CONCRETE COVER

 Concrete cover is the distance from the surface of the concrete to the
surface of the reinforcing bars embedded in the concrete.
 Ensuring sufficient concrete cover is critical for the durability of some
concrete structures subject to poor environment during their service life.
 As we increase the cover over the reinforcement, the corrosion initiation is
delayed

Figure 1.2 Effect of concrete cover on steel corrosion

1.7.2 CEMENT CONTENT
 Too low a cement content may cause inadequate structural capability, and
may not provide a durable protective environment for the steel
reinforcement, permitting rapid carbonation and subsequent loss of the
protective alkaline environment for the steel.
 Too high a cement content may cause excessive shrinkage, particularly if
inadequately cured, thermal cracking from the heat of hydration if large
pourings are involved, or the risk of alkali silica reaction if a susceptible
aggregate has been used and the cement is not a low alkali type
1.7.3 WATER CEMENT RATIO
 The water–cement ratio is the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of
cement used in a concrete mix and has an important influence on the quality
of concrete produced.
 As the w/c is increased, the concrete will have more pores and humidity,
thus increasing the risk of the occurrence of corrosion.

1.7.4 C3A CONTENT OF CEMENT

 High Tricalcium aluminate content of cement has a significant beneficial

effect on reinforcement corrosion resistance performance of concrete
structures.
 On an average, a Type I cement performs better than a C 3A Type V cement
in terms of corrosion initiation time for embedded reinforcement.
1.8 MEASUREMENT OF CORROSION
Corrosion can cause serious failures, potentially causing irreparable economic
losses. The most important step in order to hinder or reduce the extent of such
failures is to detect the corrosion as early as possible and adopt effective
preventive measures.
1.8.1 Electro-Chemical Techniques
Traditionally, visual observation has been the common practice to detect
corrosion. As the rebar corrodes, there are usually signs of rusting, cracking
and spalling. However, due to the different degrees of aggressivity of
concrete quality and of structural geometry, once the signs of deterioration
are seen on the concrete cover (rust, cracking and spalling) it may be too late
to prevent the advance of deterioration by repair works. Electro-chemical
techniques have emerged as liable means for corrosion detection due to their
potential non-destructive character. They are the most widely used
techniques for the study of rebar corrosion process in laboratories and on-
site applications (Andrade and Alonso, 1996). The commonly used electro-
chemical techniques include potential measurement, polarization resistance
measurement and electro-chemical impedance measurement. The following
sub sections cover a detailed description of each technique.
Potential measurement technique
The most popular technique of monitoring reinforcement corrosion is by
means of electrode potential measurements. As a corrosion detecting
technique, it was first used by Stratful (1957). The application and the
interpretation of this technique are described in ASTM C876 (1999). The
potential measurements for determining the probability of corrosion in
concrete has been extensively described by Flis et al. (1995), Grantham et al.
(1997) and Zvica (2001 The effectiveness of the test was thoroughly studied
by Erdogdu et al. (2004). The basic measurement in this technique is the
voltage of the electro-chemical cell formed between the embedded steel and
a reference electrode (of which potential is constant) which is placed on the
concrete surface. These measurements can be performed on all kinds of real
life RC structures. However, the identification of active corrosion of rebars
embedded in concrete is delicate and depends on numerous factors related to
the material and its environment such as concrete moisture, cement
characteristics etc. It is essential to always quote the reference electrode
being used for potential measurements. The standard reference electrode or
half cell is a simple device, consisting of a piece of metal in a fixed
concentration solution of its own ions (such as copper in saturated copper
sulphate, silver in silver chloride, etc.). In practice, the most commonly used
reference electrodes are Copper- copper sulfate (Cu/CuSO 4), Calomel
(Hg/Hg2Cl2), Silver-silver chloride (Ag/AgCl), with a defined constant and
reproducible potential versus the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). The
potential measurement using reference electrode gives an indication of the
corrosion risk of the steel. The measurement is linked by empirical
comparisons to the + - Voltmeter Reference electrode Concrete Steel
reinforcement.
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE STUDY

1. V.P.SHARANYA, C. RAMESH BABU et al. (2016) explained that the

durability of concrete structures and their long-term performance have
emerged over the last few decades which becomes a major concern for all. It
has been known that steel rebars embedded in concrete are in the passive
state, due to the basic nature of concrete. Thus, the steel is not subjected to
corrosion and ensures its durability. However, problems may start to occur
within few years of service. This could be due to durability but not because
of the structural problem. This durability problem is because of carbonation
of the concrete or the presence of chloride ions. Because of these factors, the
passivity of steel has been destroyed and corrosion commenced. As a result
of these effects, the service life of reinforced concrete structures has been
reduced and finally the structures have been collapsed. Though a wide
variety of protection methods are adopted to extend the service life of
concrete structures, corrosion monitoring of the reinforcement bars
embedded in concrete is very much important to assess the corrosion
condition and to take appropriate remedial measures for preventing the
premature failure of the concrete structures. In this paper attempts have been
made to study the corrosion behaviour of two different reinforcement bars
namely mild steel and stainless steel rebars exposed in simulated concrete
environment and the results shows that stainless steel rebars perform better
when compared to the mild steel bars of suitable durability practices in
seventies and eighties. Corrosion of reinforcing steel is the leading cause of
deterioration of our concrete structures. When steel corrodes the resulting
rust occupies a greater volume than the steel . This expansion creates tensile
stresses in the concrete, which can eventually cause cracking, delamination
and spalling of concrete and reduction of cross-section of steel. Due to
reduction of cross-section of steel, the load carrying capacity is reduced. In
addition to that reduction of elongation properties and fatigue strength also
occurs. As a result, the service life of our valuable concrete structures gets
reduced. Corrosion control is achieved by recognizing and understanding
corrosion mechanisms, by using corrosion-resistant materials, proper
designs using protective systems, devices, and treatments. In addition to
protective measures, periodic corrosion monitoring is essentially needed for
assessing the present condition of prestigious concrete structures. Various
techniques for detecting and measuring corrosion will provide data on the
causes, detection or rate of corrosion . Accordingly, corrosion monitoring
can give more complete information of changing condition of a structure in
time . Many techniques are available for monitoring corrosion of steel in
concrete structures, but none of them appears to be foolproof. Each
technique has its own limitation. Techniques like potential measurements
and concrete resistivity measurements do not give corrosion rates.
Techniques like linear polarisation and noise analysis can give quantitative
formation, provided proper instrumentation is used. Corrosion probes based
on electrical resistance are to be installed at the time of construction itself.
However, following techniques are widely adopted in RCC structures.
2. BEHZAD BAVARIAN, LISA REINER (2003) demonstrated that Migrating
corrosion inhibitors (MCIs) are one means of protection for reinforced
concrete structures. Previous studies have established the benefits of using
migrating corrosion inhibitors, the importance of good concrete, and the
significance of the ingredients used to make the concrete.2-7 Reinforcing
steel embedded in concrete shows a high amount of resistance to corrosion.
The cement paste in the concrete provides an alkaline environment that
protects the steel from corrosion by forming a protective ferric oxide film.
The corrosion rate of steel in this state is negligible. Factors influencing the
ability of the rebar to remain passivated are the water to cement ratio,
permeability and electrical resistance of concrete. These factors determine
whether corrosive species like carbonation and chloride ions can penetrate
through the concrete pores to the rebar oxide layer. In highly corrosive
environments (coastal beaches and areas where deicing salts are common),
the passive layer will deteriorate, leaving the rebar vulnerable to chloride
attack, thereby requiring additional help to prevent corrosion damage.
Migrating Corrosion Inhibitor (MCI) technology was developed to protect
the embedded steel rebar/concrete structure. Recent MCIs are based on
amino carboxylate chemistry and the most effective types of inhibitor
interact at the anode and cathode simultaneously.2,3 Organic inhibitors
utilize compounds that work by forming a monomolecular film between the
metal and the water. In the case of film forming amines, one end of the
molecule is hydrophilic and the other hydrophobic. These molecules will
arrange themselves parallel to one another and perpendicular to the
reinforcement forming a barrier.5 Migrating corrosion inhibitors are able to
penetrate into existing concrete to protect steel from chloride attack. The
inhibitor migrates through the concrete capillary structure, first by liquid
 diffusion via the moisture that is normally present in concrete, then by its
high vapor pressure and finally by following hairlines and microcracks. The
diffusion process requires time to reach the rebar’s surface and to form a
protective layer. MCIs can be incorporated as an admixture or can be surface
impregnated on existing concrete structures. With surface impregnation,
diffusion transports the MCIs into the deeper concrete layers, where they
will inhibit the onset of steel rebar corrosion. Bjegovic and Miksic recently
demonstrated the effectiveness of MCIs over five years of continuous
testing.2,3 They also showed that the migrating amine-based corrosion-
inhibiting admixture can be effective when incorporated in the repair process
of concrete structures.2 Furthermore, laboratory tests have proven that MCI
corrosion inhibitors migrate through the concrete pores to protect the rebar
against corrosion even in the presence of chlorides

3. TALAKOKULA VISALAKSHI (2004) investigated that Concrete provides

an almost ideal environment for protecting the embedded steel from
corrosion due to the passive film surrounding the steel rebars. However, the
breakdown of this passive film, either due to chloride attack or due to
carbonation, results in the corrosion of rebars. Thus rebar corrosion is one of
the main causes of damage and premature failure of the RC structures
worldwide, causing enormous costs for inspection, maintenance, restoration
and replacement. Therefore, early detection of corrosion and timely remedial
action on the affected portion can facilitate an optimum utilization of the
structure, imparting longevity to it. A large number of investigations have
been conducted on the problems related to the deterioration of RC structures
due to the corrosion of steel rebars. Usually, the condition of the structure is
monitored by visual inspection and remedial measures are resorted to only
 when the condition becomes very serious. In order to prevent the
deterioration levels reaching severe dimensions, it is desirable to monitor the
condition of strategic structures right from the construction stage using
structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques. The recent advent of the
electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) technique for SHM has provided a
new paradigm to the maintenance engineers to diagnose the onset of the
damage at the incipient stage itself.
4. Md. Aminul Islam (2015) has demonstrated the Corrosion behaviours of
high strength TMT steel bars for reinforcing cement concrete structures.
According to that concept to reduce steel consumption in reinforced cement
concrete (RCC) structures, designers recommend high strength steel bars.
There are various routes for their production such as microalloying,
thermomechanical treatment, cold working, etc. For steel bars of
thermomechanical treatment (TMT) route, some designers believe these
steel bars to be more sensitive to corrosive environment. To verify this,
corrosion behaviours of high strength steel bars of 500W (weldable steel bar
of yield strength 500MPa) grade of two different local industries have been
studied in fresh water and sea water, which were compared with weldable
low strength (yield strength 300MPa) bars of the same companies.
Experimental results revealed that addition of small amount of alloying
elements such as Cr, Ni and Cu improves the corrosion resistance of the
steel bars in all test mediums; however, strength levels have no influence the
corrosion rate. A relation has also been found between the severity of
corrosion damage and the degree of tensile property degradation
5. Yazeed Ali.P, S.Kanchana (2016) have conducted experimental study on
corrosion prevention with rebars along with fibre in RC slabs. According to
that all materials or products, plants, constructions and building made of
structural elements are subjected to physical wear during use. Corrosion is a
multi- billion dollar problem. Corrosion causes deterioration of material and
leads to destruction of structures ultimately affects the environment.
Corrosion is a chemical or electrochemical phenomenon which can attack
any metal or substances through reaction by the surrounding environment.
The second is conservation, applied primarily to metal resources, the world’s
supply of which is limited. The project is aimed at preventing corrosion that
is minimising the rate of corrosion using polypropylene fibre and epoxy
coating. In this work an attempt is planned to study the effects of fibres in
concrete and to study the coating provided to the reinforcement. To
accelerate the corrosion for a short term process of impressed current is
induced. In this project it is aimed to study the effect of coating given to the
reinforcement and effect of adding fibre in the concrete.
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

Methodology usually refers to steps in which the project has been completed. We
started our project by reading analysing the literature and journals published by
those who have already done this type of project. After that collecting the samples
and conducting various tests on the sample. The detailed methodology is below
figure 3.1

Figure 3.1 Methodology

 MIX DESIGN

Step 1 : Target strength for mix proportioning

fck’ = fck + 1.65 s

= 30 + 1.65 x 5

= 38.25 N\mm2

Step 2 : Selection of Water – Cement ratio

From Table 5 of IS 456 maximum water – cement ratio = 0.4

Step 3 : Selection of water content

From Table 2 of IS 10262 : 2009 , maximum water content = 186 litre

Step 4 : Calculation of cement content

Cement content =

= 465 kg\m3

Step 5: Mix calculations

a)Volume of concrete = 1m3

b)Volume of cement = ×

= ×
 = 0.1476 m3

c)Volume of water = ×

= ×

= 0.186m3

d)Volume of all in aggregate = 1-(0.186+0.1476)

= 0.664

e)Mass of coarse aggregate = 0.664 × Volume of coarse aggregate × Specific

gravity of coarse aggregate × 1000

= 0.664 × 0.61 × 2.74 × 1000

= 1132kg\m3

f) Mass of fine aggregate = 0.664 × fine aggregate × Specific gravity of fine

aggregate × 1000

= 0.664 × 0.39 × 2.74 × 1000

= 694kg\m3

Step 6 : Mix proportioning

Cement : 465 kg\m3

Water : 0.186m3

Fine aggregate : 694kg\m3

Coarse aggregate : 1132kg\m3