Holistic Approach to Corrosion of Steel in Concrete

Steel reinforced concrete is extensively used in construction because of its durability and cost advantages over other structural materials. However, due to aggressive use of deicing salts, or marine salt exposure, often coupled with high ambient temperatures, premature corrosion of embedded reinforcement occurs. The economic costs of corrosion of steel in concrete are substantial, and represent a major drain of infrastructure resources. This paper addresses the use of improved concrete designs to control corrosion of steel in concrete. The designs incorporate the use of low permeability concrete, corrosion inhibiting admixtures, reduced shrinkage and increased toughness with fiber reinforcement. This holistic approach to the concrete design demonstrates a lower life cycle cost.