UNIVERSITY OF GAZIANTEP

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL DEPARTMENT

CE-547
Corrosion of Plain &Reinforced concrete

Report About :
(Mechanism

of CORROSION in Concrete)
Submitted to:

Do.Dr. Mehmet GESOLU

Prepared by:

Chalak Ahmed Mohammed

chalak.mohammed@gmail.com

2014 45056

Date : feb. 2015

A properly designed and constructed

concrete is initially water-tight and the
reinforcement steel within it is well protected by
a physical barrier of concrete cover which has
low permeability and high density. Concrete also
gives steel within it a chemical protection. Steel
will not corrode as long as concrete around it is
impervious and does not allow moisture or
chlorides to penetrate within the cover area.
Steel corrosion will also not occur as long as
concrete surrounding it is alkaline in nature
having a high pH value.

However, age takes it toll. Like human

beings, Reinforcement Cement Concrete (RCC)
structures are also mortals. Depending on the
quality of design and construction, there will be
an initial period in which no corrosion will occur
as the external moisture or chloride is unable to
reach the steel causing corrosion. This initial
period will also depend on the environment in
which the structure is constructed.

Due to wetting and drying cycles, heating and

cooling cycles, loading and unloading cycles,
cyclic loading, leaching of lime and most
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importantly additions and alterations done on the

structures, isolated cracks, voids , entrapped air
and large capillary pores get interconnected and
external moisture and chlorides find their way to
reinforcement steel and corrosion starts.
Corrosion process continues till such time large,
cracks develop and spalling of concrete occurs.

Besides moisture and chloride ingress

problems, carbonation is also one of the principle
causes of corrosion. Concrete when produced is
highly alkaline having a pH value between 12.5
to 13.5. Alkaline environment around the steel
passivity corrosion process.

Due to carbon dioxide and humidity present in

the environment the exposed surface of concrete
loses its alkalinity due to formation of carbonic
acid. This formation gradually penetrates into the
concrete mass and is called carbonation of
concrete. When carbonation takes place beyond
the concrete cover given to reinforcement steel,
the environment around the steel loses its
alkalinity (dropped to less than pH value 9). The
mitigation of corrosion no longer takes place due
to chemical protection.
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It is observed that lower grades of concrete

have shown much deeper carbonation, than
higher grades of concrete, for a similar period of
time. Grades lower than N20 can carbonate
beyond 25 mm to 35 mm within a matter of 20
years. If quality of concrete in the cover region is
poor it can take place much faster.

Slender sections like canopies, parapets

slabs projecting on the building exterior show
greater evidence of deterioration than other
structural members due to above reasons.

Corrosion causes loss of mass, stiffness and

bond and therefore concrete repair becomes
inevitable as considerable loss of strength takes
place.

Why Does Steel in Concrete Corrode?

Perhaps the greatest threat to the long-term durability
of reinforced concrete is corrosion of the steel
(primarily composed of iron, or Fe) which expands
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due to the greater volume of the corrosion byproducts

and then cracks the concrete and deboned from the
concrete matrix. Billions of dollars in damage occurs
each year due to this simple reaction, and our
apparent inability to stop it. So what causes this
reaction?

1) All metals, except gold and platinum, are unstable

and will corrode. Reinforcing steel is made primarily
of iron, which is highly corrosive. There are several
things that can lead to corrosion of steel in concrete,
with the most common being chloridesuch as the
chloride in table salt (sodium chloride). These
chlorides come from sea water, deicing salts,
chlorides used in the mix as an accelerator, or salty
aggregate or water. Another common culprit that can
cause corrosion is carbonation caused by
atmospheric CO2 penetrating the concrete.

2) Corrosion is an electrochemical reaction (a

corrosion cell) with positive charges flowing through
the moist concrete and negative charges (electrons)
flowing through the reinforcing steel. The cathode is a
spot where water and oxygen have gotten through
the concrete to the steelperhaps at a crack.
The anode is where the steel corrodes and forms
corrosion byproducts that can crack the concrete.

3) Good sound concrete has a pH in the pore

solutions of 13.0 to 13.5, which is much more alkaline
than something like Drano. In this environment, the
steel forms a thin layer on its surface that we call a
passivating layer. This layer protects the rebar and
prevents the anode from forming so no corrosion can
occur .

4) When chloride ions or carbonation penetrate the

concrete and get down to the reinforcing steel, they
lower the pH and attack the passivating layer. If there
is also moisture and oxygen (at the cathode) then the
steel begins to corrode. The corrosion byproducts
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have no tensile strength, reducing the strength of the

reinforcing steel, and have greater volume than the
original steel, causing cracks.

5) Chlorides and carbonation will penetrate the

concreteits only a question of time. But with good
concrete cover (2 inches) and dense (low
permeability) concrete, that could take centuries. And
if the concrete is covered and dry, then it cant
corrode because the ionic migration of positive
charges cant take place.

Regards...