Corrosion Evolution of Steel Reinforced Concrete Under Simulated Tidal and Immersion Zones of Marine Environment

Abstract

The corrosion evolution processes of steel reinforced concrete under simulated tidal and immersion zones of marine environment were investigated by using electrochemical measurements and corrosion morphology observations. The results indicate that the corrosion of rebar in concrete under both environments experiences the deterioration from passivation to pitting corrosion and then to general corrosion. Specially, the pitting plays the major role only in the early stage of corrosion, and the general corrosion replaces the dominate role of pitting during the long-term corrosion. In addition, both the pitting depth on local surface and the rust thickness on the overall surface of rebar in the tidal condition are larger than those in immersion condition, which is attributed to the faster corrosion rate in tidal zone caused by the concentrated chloride ions and sufficient oxygen supply.