Alternative methodology for linear polarization resistance assessment of reinforced concrete structure

Abstract

For reinforced concrete structures, several corrosion detection methods exist: concrete resistivity, half-cell potential or linear polarization resistance (LPR) measurement. The LPR value can be linked to the corrosion rate thanks the Stern-Geary equation if strong hypotheses are made. Existing commercial devices use a guard ring to canalize the current on specific steel rebar area and assume that the steel rebar is uniformly polarized. However, recent works reveal that the top part of the steel rebar, right under the counter electrode, is the most polarized point. The particular point is referred as the point of interest (PI). This works belongs to the DIAMOND project which aims to produce a new corrosion rate measurement device. Comsol® software was used to model the influence of concrete cover, resistivity and injected current on the current density at the PI. Moreover, a significant influence of the steel rebars diameter was also demonstrated. Two types of abacus are built. The first one links to polarization measured on the surface to the polarization on the rebar at the PI. The second links the ratio between the current density at the PI and the density of injected current to concrete cover and steel rebar diameter. The Stern-Geary equation can now be used at the PI without using the approximation of a uniformly polarized rebar. The corrosion state of reinforced concrete structure can be controlled more precisely. The methodology is then applied on two concrete slabs in which three metal bars are embedded at different concrete covers. The first slab is prepared with ordinary concrete while the second contain chloride to artificially activate the corrosion process. The results reveal that the rebars embedded on the first slab are not corroding (icorr ≤0.2 μΑ/cm2) while the second rebar are corroding (icorr>0.2 μΑ/cm2).