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Recommendations of RILEM TC 154-EMC: Electrochemical techniques for measuring metallic corrosion Half-cell potential measurements - Potential mapping on reinforced concrete structures



Title: Recommendations of RILEM TC 154-EMC: Electrochemical techniques for measuring metallic corrosion
Half-cell potential measurements - Potential mapping on reinforced concrete structures
Author(s): RILEM TC 154-EMC
Paper category : journal
Serial title: Materials and Structures
Abreviated Serial title: Mater. Struct.
ISSN: 1359-5997
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Volume: 36
Issue: 261
Issue date: 2003-08-01
Publication year: 2003
Pages: 461 - 471
Total Pages: 11
Nb references: 22
Language: English


Abstract: Corrosion of steel in concrete is one of the major problems with respect to the durability of reinforced concrete structures.
The majority of concrete structures perform well even after a long period of use in normal environments.
However, there are various reinforced concrete structures important for our infrastructure, especially bridges and buildings, which exhibit premature damage due to environmental actions (EN 206).
In contrast to mechanical actions (as load, wind, etc.
) the environmental actions are not reversible and accumulate hazardous components (as e.
g.
chloride ions) in the concrete.
A high percentage of the damages is caused by insufficient planning, wrong estimation of the severity of environmental actions and by bad workmanship and thus many of these structures need to be repaired after a short service life.
In most industrial countries, repair and restoration of reinforced concrete structures today is nearly as important as new constructions.
Due to the importance of the problem, RILEM set up an initial committee on reinforcing steel corrosion in 1960.
A second committee related to the problem, TC 60-CSC ‘Corrosion of Steel in Concrete’, was established in 1980, presenting a state-of-the-art report in 1988 on the generally agreed knowledge about the processes causing corrosion and the corrosion mechanism themselves.
RILEM TC-124 on Strategies for the Repair of Concrete Structures Damaged by Steel Corrosion published a draft recommendation in 1994, where the importance of condition assessment has been pointed out as the first step in the repair process.
To ensure a sound decision on the type of repair work, it is essential to get first of all a thorough assessment of the condition of the structure, including the evaluation of: cause of damage or loss of protection degree and amount of damage expected progress of damage with time effect of damage on structural behaviour and serviceability.
The acquisition of reliable information on level and rate of deterioration is done during regular main inspections relying on visual examination of the whole structure.
If no reliable conclusion on the state of the structure or part of it can be obtained, an additional inspection (verification) including non-destructive testing has to be performed until the cause of damage is clearly identified.
Following the work of TC-124, RILEM set up a Technical Committee 154-EMC on Electrochemical Techniques for Measuring Corrosion of steel in concrete.
During the first meeting of the committee it was decided to prepare RILEM Technical Recommendations on Half cell potential measurements Test methods for on-site corrosion rate measurements of reinforcement by means of the polarization resistance Test methods for on-site measurement of resistivity of concrete Embedded Probes for Corrosion monitoring These documents are presently prepared for publication.
This Draft RILEM Technical Recommendation on Half-Cell potential measurements intends to give a general description of half-cell potential measurements for assessing the corrosion risk of an existing structure (inspection), for locating precisely corroding rebars prior to and during repair work and for evaluateing the effectiveness and durability of the repair work.
Special attention will be paid to factors influencing potential measurements and to the interpretation of potential readings.


Online publication: 2003-06-27
Classification: RILEM Technical Committees
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00
doi: 10.1617/13718


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