ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON CORROSION OF REINFORCING IN CONCRETE BRIDGE SUBSTRUCTURES

PROMPTED BY EVIDENCE OF CORROSION WHICH OCCURRED IN THE REINFORCING STEEL USED IN 20 HIGHWAY BRIDGES IN AN ARID DESERT WITHIN 10 YEARS AFTER CONSTRUCTION, A SURVEY WAS MADE OF THE CONDITION OF 239 BRIDGES LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THE SURVEY INDICATED THAT CORROSION OF THE EMBEDDED STEEL WAS EVIDENT IN VARYING AMOUNTS IN APPROXIMATELY 28 PERCENT OF THE BRIDGES. THESE STRUCTURES RANGED IN AGE UP TO 50 YEARS. IT WAS FOUND THAT BRIDGE DETERIORATION WAS RELATED TO CHLORIDE CONTENT OF THE SOILS OR WATERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. AN EQUATION WAS DERIVED FOR THE PERCENTAGE OF STRUCTURES THAT HAD DETERIORATION FOR ANY CONCENTRATION OF CHLORIDES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. LABORATORY TESTS CONTINUING OVER A PERIOD OF 2 1/2 YEARS INDICATED A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCRETES CEMENT AND WATER CONTENTS AND ITS ABILITY TO GAIN AND LOSE WATER VAPOR IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS. USING THE VARIABLES THAT APPEAR TO INFLUENCE THE MOVEMENT OF WATER VAPOR THROUGH CONCRETE, AN EQUATION WAS DEVELOPED WHICH GIVES THE PROBABLE TIME TO CRACKING OF A REINFORCED CONCRETE SUBSTRUCTURE. THE EQUATION IS BASED ON FIELD OBSERVATIONS AND LABORATORY TESTS, AND TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE EFFECT OF THE VARIABLES OF CEMENT AND MIXING WATER CONTENT, THE THICKNESS OF COVER OVER THE STEEL, AND THE CHLORIDE CONTENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1963/14/14-007.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • BEATON, J L
  • Stratfull, R F
• Publication Date: 1963

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 60-78
• Monograph Title: Concrete bridge decks and pavement surfaces
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 14
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arid land; Bridge substructures; Cement; Chlorides; Concrete; Concrete bridges; Corrosion; Corrosion protection; Cracking; Data collection; Environment; Equations; Field studies; Fracture mechanics; Hygroscopic coefficient; Laboratory tests; Mixtures; Moisture content; Reinforcing steel; Soils; Steel; Surveys; Thickness; Water; Water vapor
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concrete cracking
• Geographic Terms: California
• Old TRIS Terms: Field observation; Steel protection
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00211945
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 1 1994 12:00AM