Relationship between steel mass loss and accelerated corrosion regimes in reinforced concrete columns

Present study aims to observe the consequence of varying the intensity of the accelerating impressed electrical current and situations of wetting-drying as hybrid accelerated corrosion regime on synthetically corroded concrete specimens, especially the loss of steel mass. Small-scaled reinforced concrete columns were fabricated and synthetically corroded by altered accelerating corrosion situations by applying an impressed current with intensity ranging between (50 and 500 μA/cm2). Moreover, the impressed current joined with two dissimilar durations of wetting-drying cycles for assessment. The steel mass losses during and at the end of the accelerated corrosion process were calculated, also, cracking configuration and damage shape were observed for accelerating corrosion. The outcomes designated that the hybrid method (impressed current joined with cycles of saline solution wetting and drying series) can be employed adequately to simulate the regular corrosion process in the reinforced concrete structure. The steel mass loss is mostly influenced by the intensities of the impressed accelerating current, while the crack appearance and the pattern of surface cracks, is influenced by wetting and drying cycles as well as the impressed accelerating current. Yet, increasing the current intensity produce a considerable growth in the cracking owing to the reinforcing steel corrosion in shorter stage.