Hardened Portland blast-furnace slag cement pastes II. The corrosion behavior of steel reinforcement

The corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel embedded in various slag cement pastes was studied using the galvanostatic polarization technique. The corrosion resistance is appreciably affected by the degree of fineness of the dry slag cement. In pastes produced from high Blaine area cement, the behavior of embedded steel was very close to that in normal or type I portland cement paste, and is much better than a low Blaine area cement. W/C ratios of 0.25 and 0.40 provided a better passivating medium as compared with W/C ratios of 0.18 and 0.70. Effects of lime or gypsum addition were also investigated and comparatively studied for their action on the corrosion of embedded steel. The results obtained were supported by corrosion rates obtained using the linear polarization technique.     

The influence of different cements on chloride-induced corrosion of reinforcing steel

Corrosion of embedded steel in concrete may occur as a result of the depassivating effects of chloride ions. Two important parameters governing the risk of chloride-induced corrosion in cement matrices of varied compositions are believed to be: (i) the relative concentrations of chloride and hydroxyl ions in the pore electrolyte and (ii) the diffusivities of chloride ions. Measurements of these parameters for cement pastes of constant water/cement ratio and fixed total chloride content have been used to rank a series of Portland cements, slag blended cement and fly-ash blended cement in terms of their expected levels of corrosion protection. The validity of the predicted rank orders has been independently assessed by electrochemical monitoring of the corrosion rates of embedded steel electrodes by means of the method of linear polarisation.     

Effect of carbon fibres on the mechanical properties and corrosion levels of reinforced portland cement mortars

The changes in mechanical properties of portland cement mortars due to the addition of carbon fibres (CF) to the mix have been studied. Compression and flexural strengths have been determined in relation to the amount of fibres added to the mix, water/binder ratio, curing time and porosity. Additionally, the corrosion level of reinforcing steel bars embedded in portland cement mortars containing CF and silica fume (SF) have also been investigated and reinforcing steel corrosion rates have been determined. As a consequence of the large concentration of oxygen groups in CF surface, a good interaction between the CF and the water of the mortar paste is to be expected. A CF content of 0.5% of cement weight implies an optimum increase in flexural strength and an increase in embedded steel corrosion.     

Corrosion rates of steel embedded in cement pastes

Dynamic polarization techniques were used to estimate the corrosion rates of steel embedded in cement paste made with different binder systems. A corrosion model is proposed. The corrosion rates were determined by employing the Evans diagrams constructed from cathodic polarization curve of steel embedded in chloride free cement paste and anodic polarization curve of steel embedded in cement pastes containing chloride. Within the limitations of the adopted experimental conditions and sample configuration, the preliminary results indicate that corrosion rates of steel embedded in blended cement pastes generally fall within the range shown by steel embedded in portland cement pastes.     

Hardened portland blast-furnace slag cement pastes III. Corrosion of steel reinforcement versus pore structure of the paste matrix

The pore structure of the slag cement paste matrix seems to affect to a sensible extent the corrosion behavior of embedded steel. For both additive free, and additive containing slag cement pastes, the pore structure data were discussed in paper I of this series, whereas the corrosion behavior of embedded steel was discussed in paper II. In this paper III, the correlation between papers I and II is established, and the concluding remarks presented.     

Corrosion resistance in activated fly ash mortars

The question of whether reinforcing steel can be protected with activated fly ash cement as effectively as with Portland cement is explored in this study. Corrosion potential (E_corr) and polarisation resistance (R_p) values for steel electrodes embedded in Portland cement mortar and two fly ash mortars, respectively activated with NaOH and waterglass+NaOH solutions, are monitored. Chloride-free activated fly ash mortars are found to passivate steel reinforcement as speedily and effectively as Portland cement mortars, giving no cause to fear that corrosion may limit the durability of reinforced concrete structures built with these new types of activated fly ash cement. The polarisation curves and the response to short-term anodic current pulses (galvanostatic pulse technique) obtained further corroborate the full and stable passivation of the steel by the concrete manufactured with these binders.     

Hardened portland blast-furnace slag cement pastes: I. Effects of additives on surface area and on pore structure

Portland blast-furnace slag cement pastes were prepared with various water/cement ratios. Specific surface areas and pore structures of the hardened pastes were investigated by nitrogen adsorption. The “accessibility” of the nitrogen molecules to the pore structure is discussed in terms of degree of hydration and total porosities of the pastes. Effect of presence of CaCl₂, a typical steel reinforcement corrosive agent, was also studied, and results indicated that it alters the area and pore structure extensively, to a more “open structure,” thus facilitating its own accessibility. Lime and gypsum addition was also studied in presence and in absence of CaCl₂, and the effect of the Blaine surface area of the unhydrated cement is particularly emphasized in this investigation.     

Voltammetric behaviour of iron in cement. III. Comparison of iron versus reinforcing steel

The cyclic voltammetric behaviour of reinforcing steel in cured Portland cement paste was investigated and compared with that of pure iron. The cyclic volammetric behaviour of reinforcing steel in cement is very similar to that reported earlier for iron in cement, both with and without NaCl and NaNO₂ (a corrosion inhibitor) additions. This similarity confirms that the results and conclusions obtained using iron are also applicable to the behaviour of reinforcing steel. A useful method for determining true surface areas of iron or steel electrodes by linear sweep voltammetry also is described in detail.     

Effect of cement type on the corrosion of reinforcing steel bars exposed to acidic media using electrochemical techniques

The effect of different percentages of cement components (tricalcium aluminate C₃A) on the corrosion of embedded reinforcing steel bars was studied in presence of 5% NaCl or 5% MgSO₄ solutions. Different electrochemical techniques namely; half-cell potential measurement, impressed voltage method and impressed current method were used. The C₃A in cement reduced greatly the corrosion of steel bars embedded in concrete subjected to chloride or sulphate solutions. In chloride solution, as the percent of C₃A increased in cement from 2% to 10% the steel corrosion decreased proportionally. The rate of corrosion in 5% MgSO₄ solution was decreased as the percent of C₃A increased from 2% to 6%. From 6% to 10% the steel corrosion rate was rapidly accelerated. In general the presence of chloride and sulphate solutions in surrounding media reduced the destructive effect of sulphate ions on embedded steel bars.     

Effect of supplementary cementitious materials (binder type) on the pore solution chemistry and the corrosion of steel in alkaline environments

The pore solution compositions of paste samples produced with Ordinary Portland Cement (PC), slag 25%, 50% and 75%, fly ash 30%, condensed silica fume (SF) 7%, and a ternary blend of 50% PC, 43% slag and 7% SF were determined. Not only are there significant variations in the concentration of the major cations and anions but also, and equally important from the perspective of development of the passivity of steel in solution, in the level of dissolved oxygen and redox potential.Further, the impact of changes in the pore solution chemistry of cement pastes with SCMs on the passivation and corrosion of steel was investigated with mild steel in simulated pore solutions (SPS). Sulphides and thiosulphates, typically found in slag bearing pastes, appeared to reduce the chloride threshold concentration and increase the rate of corrosion in SPS, which has potential implication for the long term performance of reinforced concrete structures.     

Properties and hydration of blended cements with steelmaking slag

The present research study investigates the properties and hydration of blended cements with steelmaking slag, a by-product of the conversion process of iron to steel. For this purpose, a reference sample and three cements containing up to 45% w/w steel slag were tested. The steel slag fraction used was the “0-5 mm”, due to its high content in calcium silicate phases. Initial and final setting time, standard consistency, flow of normal mortar, autoclave expansion and compressive strength at 2, 7, 28 and 90 days were measured. The hydrated products were identified by X-ray diffraction while the non-evaporable water was determined by TGA. The microstructure of the hardened cement pastes and their morphological characteristics were examined by scanning electron microscopy. It is concluded that slag can be used in the production of composite cements of the strength classes 42.5 and 32.5 of EN 197-1. In addition, the slag cements present satisfactory physical properties. The steel slag slows down the hydration of the blended cements, due to the morphology of contained C₂S and its low content in calcium silicates.     

Study on the corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel in cement mortar by electrochemical noise measurements

The corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel in cement mortar has been studied by electrochemical noise (EN) compared with the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The wavelet transform, as well as the statistical methods including the standard deviation of current noise (σ_I) and noise resistance (R_n), has been employed to analyze the EN data of reinforcing steel in mortar. It is revealed that there exist three different corrosion stages of reinforcing steel in cement mortar, including a competition process between breakdown and repassivation of passive film, a pitting development and an active corrosion during the 20 cyclic immersion and drying tests. The energy distribution plot (EDP) is able to provide useful information about the dominant process for the different corrosion stages.     

Pore solution composition and reinforcement corrosion characteristics of microsilica blended cement concrete

Plain and microsilica blended cement pastes with water-cement ratio of 0.6 were prepared using a 14% C₃A cement. Two levels of chloride from NaCl corresponding to 0.6% and 1.2% by weight of cement were added through mix water. The pastes were allowed to hydrate in sealed containers for 180 days and then subjected to pore solution expression. The expressed pore fluids were analyzed for chloride and hydroxyl ion concentrations. The results show that the OH⁻ ion concentration in the pore solutions of both chloride-free and chloride-bearing pastes drop steeply with increasing cement replacement by microsilica. For 10% microsilica cement pastes the pH for both 0.6% and 1.2% chloride addition was found to be around 13.30. However, the pH drops to a level below that of saturated Ca(OH)₂ solution when cement replacement by microsilica is increased from 10% to 20%. This is ascribable to the consumption of Ca(OH)₂ by microsilica as shown by the DTA/TGA results. 10% and 20% microsilica blending more than doubles the free chloride ion concentration in the pore solutions of the chloride-bearing pastes. 10% microsilica replacement raises the Cl⁻/OH⁻ ratio 4 to 5 fold, whereas for 20% microsilica replacement, the Cl⁻/OH⁻ ratio is increased to 77 and 39 folds over the corresponding values for the plain cement pastes for 0.6% and 1.2% chloride additions respectively. Accelerated corrosion monitoring tests carried out on steel bars embedded in plain and microsilica blended cement concretes exposed to 5% NaCl solution show a 3 fold superior performance of microsilica blended cement concretes in terms of corrosion initiation time. This corrosion behaviour is contrary to the prediction from the increased aggressivity of pore solution composition in terms of highly elevated Cl⁻/OH⁻ ratios. This is attributable to the densification of cement matrix by the pozzolanic reaction between microsilica and calcium hydroxide. No discernable advantage in terms of corrosion initiation time is evident by increasing microsilica blending from 10% to 20%.     

煤矸石-矿渣-水泥体系的水化进程及其性能研究

采用选择性溶解法和非线性拟合法分别测量了煤矸石-矿渣-水泥三元体系中三种原材料（煤矸石,矿渣,水泥）的水化进程,并对含有不同掺量矿物掺合料的复合水泥浆体干燥收缩及抗压强度进行了测量和分析。结果表明：当复合水泥浆体中含有5％煤矸石,25％矿渣时,复合材料的干燥收缩较小,抗压强度较大。     

Use of no-fines concrete as a building material: Strength,durability properties and corrosion protection of embedded steel

Although no-fines concrete has been generally used for paving applications, it could be considered in other non-structural applications, such as reinforced panels, thanks to its acoustic, thermal and permeability properties. In this work, mechanical, durability-related properties and the protection provided by no-fines concrete to embedded steel against carbonation-induced corrosion have been investigated on mixtures with compressive strength in the range 7–30 MPa. Additional protections, such as a mixed-in hydrophobic admixture, the coating of cement paste on the reinforcing bar or the use of galvanized or stainless steel bars, are also considered. Results show that, although no-fines concrete is susceptible to fast carbonation and it cannot provide long-term passivation to embedded steel, it may prevent corrosion in elements exposed to the atmosphere and sheltered by rain. In case of frequent contact with water, additional protections are required, preferably based on the use of corrosion resistant bars.     

Corrosion monitoring of reinforcing steel in cement mortar by EIS and ENA

Health degradation by corrosion of steel in civil engineering, especially in rough environment, is a persistent problem. Environment pollution and global warming will exacerbate this problem. The assessment of whole-life costing and residual service life prediction of structures is very important. Pitting corrosion is the most important factor which influences the service life of the reinforced concrete structures in many chloride included environments. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method is used to study the corrosion process of reinforcing steel in cement mortar. According to the results of the experiments, dispersion and diffusing effect control the electrochemical process of carbon steel corrosion in the cement mortar. By fitting the results with EC, the parameters about CPE and Warburg impedance are calculated. The pitting corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel in cement mortar has been studied by electrochemical noise analysis (ENA) method, the wavelet transform has been employed to analyze the EN data of reinforcing steel in mortar, and the energy distribution plot (EDP) is plotted. The experimental results show that the change of EDP during the corrosion process can qualitatively reveal useful information on corrosion mechanisms.     

改善石灰石硅酸盐水泥耐腐蚀性能的研究

探讨了在一定浓度的MgSO4溶液中，一定温度环境下石灰石硅酸盐水泥受侵过程，采用矿渣微粉部分替代石灰石微粉或水泥可以延迟或阻止侵蚀反应，对水泥石定期目测观察，并对某些样品进行XRD和DSC分析，证实侵蚀产物为水化碳硫硅酸钙，Ca(OH)2参与侵蚀反应，揭示了矿渣微粉提高石灰石硅盐盐水泥耐硫酸盐溶液侵蚀的机理。     

Evaluation of embeddable potential sensor for corrosion monitoring in concrete structures

Embeddable potential sensor based on MnO₂ was assembled and characterised in concrete. The stability, reversibility, polarisability and impedance characteristics have been studied with respect to known reference. The corrosion performance of reinforced steel with respect to MnO₂ sensor was monitored by different electrochemical techniques. Reversibility of MnO₂ sensor indicated that difference of ±5 mV between the forward and reverse scan indicates the better reversibility characteristics in concrete. The rebar potentials (E_R) of steel with respect to MnO₂ are −315 and −525 mV for passive and active conditions of rebar in concrete. The corrosion current from potentiodynamic polarisation and R_ct from a.c. impedance technique clearly differentiated the behaviour of steel embedded in chloride contaminated concrete (active condition) from uncontaminated concrete (passive condition) with respect to MnO₂ sensor. All these studies revealed that corrosion monitoring of steel in concrete using embedded MnO₂ as a better potential sensor for steel in concrete. In addition it is easy to fabricate for amenable miniaturisation, varied configuration as demanded for corrosion monitoring in concrete structures.     

Rheological properties of cement mixes: IV. Effects of superplasticizers on viscosity and yield stress

The effect of sulfonated naphthalene- and melamine-formaline condensates upon the viscometric properties of cement pastes and slurries has been investigated. Plastic viscosity and yield stress were determined from coaxial cylinder viscometer measurements. These were related to admixture type and concentration, cement type, and to the volume concentration of cement in the mix.     

Portland cement clinker, granulated slag and by-pass cement dust composites

Three blends of slag cement were prepared, namely 70/30, 50/50 and 30/70 mass% of Portland cement clinker and granulated slag, respectively. Each blend was mixed with 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 mass% by-pass cement dust. The physical properties of cement pastes were studied, including setting times, electrical conductivity and fluidity. The results indicated that the rheological properties of Portland cement clinker were enhanced by partial replacement by granulated slag. By-pass cement dust affects the rheological properties of Portland cement clinker/granulated slag composites and depends on its amount as well as mix composition. The increase in the amount of by-pass cement dust increases the required water of normal consistency. The setting time of Portland slag cement paste was extended with the increase in slag content. The addition of 2.5 mass% by-pass cement dust to M.1 (70 mass% Portland cement clinker/30 mass% granulated slag) and M.2 (50 mass% Portland cement clinker/50 mass% granulated slag) retards the initial and final setting time, whereas it accelerates the final setting time of M.3 (30 mass% Portland cement clinker/70 mass% granulated slag). The presence of by-pass cement dust affects the location and height of the conductivity peaks. By increasing the by-pass cement dust from 2.5 to 7.5 mass%, the conductivity maximum increases. With further addition (10.0 mass%), the height of the conductivity maximum decreases.