Study on Corrosion of Reinforcement in Concrete and Effect of Inhibitor on Service Life of Reinforced Cement Concrete

Abstract

Reinforced concrete is one of the most widely used construction material in infrastructure development. To increase the tensile stress, reinforcing bar is embedded in concrete structure. These reinforcing bars embedded in concrete structure get corroded due to chlorination and carbonation affecting its service life which leads to increase in maintenance and repair cost of the structure. For this reason, various methods have been developed to prevent the corrosion and to increase the service life of the structure. From various method developed, corrosion inhibitor is found to be the most efficient and appropriate method for corrosion protection of reinforced concrete structures due to low cost, excellent corrosion resistant effect and easy operation. The study shows, the effect of corrosion inhibitors with respect to different diameters of steel bars embedded in concrete beam. An experimental work is carried out using a mixed corrosion inhibitor Zinc Oxide and Sodium Nitrite with different diameter 8 mm and 16 mm of steel bar embedded in concrete. Current is impressed on reinforced bar in concrete to increase the rate of corrosion. The significance of Zinc Oxide and Sodium Nitrite which are used as a corrosion inhibitor of steel bar embedded in concrete and immersed in 3% Sodium Chloride solution was investigated. The comparisons are made between the result obtained from the concrete beam casted with and without the use of corrosion inhibitors.