Repair Options for

Corrosion-Damaged Reinforced Concrete

Bridge Superstructure Elements

S A Kristiawan, PhD
sa_kristiawan@uns.ac.id

Jurusan Teknik Sipil

Fakultas Teknik
Universitas Sebelas Maret
Performance of Bridge in Time

Performance level; Load

Load

Bridge
deterioration

Design service life

Time
Corrosion-Damaged

Corrosion caused
by carbonation
Corrosion-Damaged

Pitting corrosion
caused by chloride
penetration
Corrosion-Damaged

Corrosion of
reinforcement
causing cracking
and rust staining
Corrosion-Damaged

Spalling due to chloride

corrosion of reinforcement
Breakdown of Passivity by Carbonation

Concrete cover
Passivating film

Steel
In alkaline environment (pH > 11.5) ferrous & ferric hydroxide adhere to the steel surface
forming passivating film; The high pH is due to the dissolved ion OH- from calcium
hydroxide into pore solution

Fe++ H2O O
2
-
Anode Cathode(OH)

e-

CO2 can react with solid Ca(OH)2, CSH gel, alkali and calcium ions in the pore solution. As a
result of this reactions is a drastic decrease in the alkalinity of pore solution and steel loss
its protection. Hence, corrosion reaction take place.
Breakdown of Passivity by Chloride

Concrete cover
Passivating film Cl- Cl- Cl-

Steel

pit

Depassivation by the effect of chloride ions:

Ferric oxide is more resistant to chloride than ferrous oxide. The ferrous react
with chloride:
Fe(OH)2 + Cl- [FeCl]x
The reaction cause steel loss its protection in the area where ferrous oxide is not
converted to ferric oxide.
Corrosion Reaction

Fe++ H2O O
2
-
Anode Cathode(OH)

e-

Anode Reaction: Ferrous hydroxide:

2Fe + 4e-  2Fe++ Fe++ + 2(OH)-  Fe(OH)2

Cathode Reaction:
Ferric hydroxide:
4e- + O2 + H2O  (OH)-
Fe(OH)2 + 2H2O + O2 4 Fe(OH)3
Damaged Process

The relative volume of iron

and its reaction product
Economic Consequences

 14% Bridge rated structurally deficient and the primary cause of

deficiency was corrosion of reinforcing steel
 Annual cost of corrosion is estimated at $8.29 billion
 The cost does not include indirect cost incurred by travelling public
due to bridge closures

14% of 587,964 bridges

The National Bridge Inventory

Database (2002)
Repair Problem Statements

 How to identify and determine the extent of corrosion?

 What action should be performed when corrosion is
identified?
 How to choose the right repair options?

Standard Decision-Making Process is a must!!!

This will help in avoiding unnecessary expenditure in repair and
rehabilitation of existing structure…
Assessing Current Condition of
Bridge Structure

The AASHTO Manual

Type of When Feature of
Inspection perform Inspection
1. Initial Inspection Upon Baseline structural condition
completion
2. Routine Inspection Every 2 years Physical & functional condition,
identify changes since last condition
3. Damage Inspection Trigger by Inspection of damage to identify the
damage need for further action
4. In-Dept Inspection Focuses on Investigate deficiencies not detected
certain section during Routine Inspection
5. Special Inspection Single known Monitor single known defect
defect
The required data for
corrosion-damaged action

 Routine Inspection
Method Data collected Interpretation

Visual Rust staining, cracking,

Survey delamination and spalling ?

This survey is sufficient to detect corrosion

But not answer the following questions:
When does the structure need repair?
To what extent the repair should be performed?
 The required data for
corrosion-damaged action

 Modifying the extent of Routine Inspection

Method Data collected Interpretation

Visual Rust staining, cracking,

Survey delamination and spalling

+
Additional
Chloride ion distribution, Ok
concrete cover, quantity
Survey
damaged

With these additional survey:

Progress of Corrosion can be determined time to repair, type of repair
Quantity damage  extent of repair
Proposed Inspection

 Preliminary Corrosion Condition Evaluation (PCCE):

perform in conjunction with Routine Inspection, but
not in 2 years interval. Perform when the first sign of
corrosion initiation observed

 In-Depth Corrosion Condition Evaluation (In-Depth

Inspection): when bridge is deemed to be repaired
Key to Repair Strategy

Data from PCCE may be used:

 to predict when repair should be done
Perform service life modelling
Data from In-Depth Inspection:
 to perform service life modelling
 to choose repair option  Calculate
Susceptibility Index (SI)
Service Life Modelling

time
initiation
propagation

Limit of serviceability

Level of damage

‘load’ Corrosion level Limit of corrosion

Limit of chloride at the causing structural failure
surface of reinforcement

time
Time to Initiation (Ti)
 Time to Initiation (Ti)

D can be determined from plotting C(x,t) vs x obtained

from measurement on existing concrete at time t
C(x,t) % by weight of cement

reinforcement
Position of

Critical chloride content 0.15%

Predicted chloride content

Measured chloride content

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Depth (mm)
Time to Propagation (Tp)
Time to Propagation (Tp)
Susceptibility Index
Susceptibility Index (Examples)
Susceptibility Index
Optimal Major Repair Options
Minor Repair and Major Repair

Minor Repair as necessary

PCCE In-Depth (2 year

(after 1st sign) before major repair)

Major
Major
Repair
Service Life Repair
Service Life scheduled
Modelling option
Modelling
and SI
Minor and Major Repair

 Hasil identifikasi selama PCCE mungkin mengharuskan dilakukan

minor repair pada lokasi-lokasi tertentu.

 Minor repair dapat dilakukan sesuai kebutuhan sampai major repair

dijadwalkan.

 Metode umum yang dipakai dalam pelaksanaan minor repair adalah

patch repair.

 Saat major repair dilaksanakan pun, patch repair merupakan

companion terhadap metode major repair.
Patch Repair

 patch repair: replace localized areas of deteriorated concrete

 patch rehabilitation : remove concrete i.e. damage, sound but
corroding, sound but critically contaminated.
( the deteriorated concrete is removed to the depth of 2.5 cm
below reinforcement)
Patch Repair

Disadvantages: - do not address the cause of the problem

- ‘halo effect’ (new repair material trigger potential
different), corrosion takes place by shifting the
anode-cathode
New repair material; Old parent concrete;
pH >11.5 low pH

becoming cathode becoming anode

(formerly anode) (formerly cathode)
more active
Sealers or Surface Treatments
Notes on Surface Treatments

 Check kandungan ion Cl- didalam beton yang akan di lindungi

dengan surface treatment tsb!!

 Surface treatment hanya efektif mengurangi kemungkinan korosi

apabila ion Cl- yang ada didalam beton dalam jumlah yang setelah
terdifusi ke permukaan tulangan tidak cukup untuk inisiasi korosi.

 Bila ion Cl- tinggi, perlu langkah: membuang beton yang

mengandung Cl- tinggi atau mengeluarkan ion Cl-

 Berarti perlu patch repair juga.

Membranes

 Applied to bridge deck in conjunction with HMA

overlays
Performance criteria for membrane:
 Water permeability
 Chloride ion permeability
 Flexibility under changing temperature
 Crack bridging
 Bond strength
 Resistance to indentation
Overlays

 Used to restore deck riding surface

 The overlay functions as a barrier to chloride
penetration
 Before overlays, the procedure includes removing
damaged concrete, sound but corroding and sound but
critically contaminated.
Overlays

 Surface Preparation
Overlays

 Surface Preparation
Corrosion Inhibitor

 Inorganic (calcium nitrite)-based inhibitor: provide protection

by oxidizing the surface of reinforcement
2Fe++ +2OH- + 2NO2  2NO + Fe2O3 + H2O
There is a competition between nitrite ion and chloride ion to use
ferrous ion produced by the steel.
Hence, the effectiveness of nitrite inhibitor depends on the ratio of
nitrite to chloride.
 Organic (amine)-based inhibitor: block the permeation of
chloride ion and form protective film on the surface of
reinforcement
Cathodic Protection

 An Impressed-Current Cathodic Protection

1 – 5 Volt,
10 - 20 mA
Cathodic Protection

 Galvanic Cathodic Protection

Electrochemical Chloride Extraction