Performance Evaluation of Corrosion Inhibitors in Electrochemical Resistance of Steel Reinforcement in Concrete

^1,2,,4,5 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, CVR College of Engineering, Hyderabad, India
^3,6 Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, CVR College of Engineering, Hyderabad, India

^* Corresponding author: manoj.tangudu03@gmail.com

Abstract

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are often used in the construction sector due to their strength and longevity. Corrosion in steel reinforcement can have detrimental effects like surrounding concrete cracks and spalls as the steel rusts and expands. Furthermore, weakening the structure, corrosion might make the steel’s bond with the surrounding concrete less strong and results in expensive repairs, safety risks, or even collapse. Studying steel reinforcement corrosion in concrete is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying corrosion and facilitates the development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies includes designing materials with improved corrosion resistance, applying protective coatings, or implementing cathodic protection systems to inhibit corrosion. The present investigation is aimed to assess the damage in RC flexural members at no corrosion level and 10% corrosion level using non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques to capture various aspects of the specimen condition. The research examined the efficacy of several corrosion inhibitors, including Epoxy, Grout, Geopolymer, Red oxide, and polythene cover. The findings revealed that Geopolymer demonstrated superior performance in mitigating corrosion. This effectiveness is attributed to its ability to form an alkaline protective layer around the reinforcing bars, which significantly impedes corrosion processes compared to the other inhibitors assessed.