From the instantaneous corrosion rate to a representative value

Abstract

Reinforcement corrosion develops due to the penetration of chlorides or of the carbonation front through the concrete pores and corrosion develops if enough moisture is present. However as the corrosion rate changes with temperature and the evolution of the corrosion itself, the representation may not be clear enough to be used for comparative purposes or for prediction of future evolution. The present work proposes a parallel use of accumulated corrosion depth, which is obtained by the integration of each age of the corrosion rate-time curve. This kind of representation enables the determination of corrosion depth at each age and appears the adequate to establish a Representative annual average value for comparative purposes. The procedure is applied to concrete specimens and real size elements exposed to Madrid outdoor conditions.