CORROSION OF STEEL IN CONTINUOUSLY SUBMERGED REINFORCED CONCRETE PILING

STEEL CORROSION IN PORTIONS OF PILING WHICH WERE CONTINUOUSLY SUBMERGED IN SEAWATER FOR APPROXIMATELY 37 YEARS WERE EXAMINED. AS PART OF A CONTRACT FOR A NEW BRIDGE TO REPLACE THE SAN MATEO-HAYWARD BRIDGE, THE EXISTING PILES FROM THE OLD BRIDGE WERE REMOVED. SEVENTEEN OF THESE PILES WERE INSPECTED BY EXPOSING THE REINFORCING STEEL. IN ADDITION, SAMPLES OF CONCRETE WERE OBTAINED TO DETERMINE THE CONTAINED SALT CONTENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT 8 OUT OF 17, OR APPROXIMATELY 47 PERCENT OF THE PILINGS HAD HEAVY CORROSION OF THE STEEL. THE METAL LOSS OF THE HEAVILY CORRODED STEEL WAS IN THE CHARACTER OF BROAD PITS THAT RANGED IN DEPTH BETWEEN 0.017 IN. AND 0.260 IN. AND AVERAGED 0.114 IN. THE CHLORIDE CONTENT FOUND IN THE CONTINUOUSLY SUBMERGED CONCRETE RANGED BETWEEN 13 AND 34 LB/ CU YD. ON THE BASIS OF ABSORPTION MEASUREMENTS MADE OF THE CONCRETE, IT WAS CALCULATED THAT THERE COULD BE A 10 PERCENT CHLORIDE SOLUTION IN THE CONCRETE, WHILE THE BAY WATER CONTAINED 1.7 PERCENT CHLORIDE. PUBLISHED RESULTS OF OTHER INVESTIGATIONS CONCERNING THE CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF STEEL IN REINFORCED-CONCRETE PILING ARE PARTIALLY REVIEWED.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1967/204/204-002.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Metals in Highway Structures and presented at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board. 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
  • Spellman, D L
  • Stratfull, R F
• Publication Date: 1967

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 11-21
• Monograph Title: Metal corrosion
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 204
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Absorption; Chlorides; Concrete; Corrosion; Losses; Measurement; Metals; Reinforced concrete; Samples; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Steel; Support piles; Underwater structures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Reinforced concrete piles
• Old TRIS Terms: Submerged conditions
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216079
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-000 708
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 2 1994 12:00AM