Morphology of Corrosion of Metallic Fibers

in Aggressive Media

Carmen Andrade1 and Miguel A. Sanjuán2(&)

1
International Center of Numerical Methods in Engineering, CIMNE-Madrid,
Madrid, Spain
2
Institute for Cement and Its Applications, IECA, Madrid, Spain
masanjuan@ieca.es

Abstract. In marine and industrial environments, the steel bars embedded in

concrete can corrode producing the cracking of the cover and impacting nega-
tively in the load-bearing capacity. Metallic fibres have shown a record of good
mechanical performance as reinforcing material for concrete. Those on carbon
steel can corrode in the aggressive environments and although publications have
reported a better impermeability in the fibre reinforced concretes, it still remains
the question of how the steel fibres corrode and, in this case,, whether they can
microcrack the surroundings. In present communication are presented results of
long-term performance of the fibres due to chlorides and carbonation attacks
during more than 20 years of exposure. The carbon fibres corrode but not
cracking seems to be produced in spite of the full conversion of the fibres into
oxides. The galvanized fibres corrode comparatively less, and the stainless-steel
ones are in perfect condition.

Keywords: Corrosion
Metallic fibres
Durability
Aggressive environment

Concrete

1 Introduction

The introduction of fibres into the concrete is due to the historical disadvantage that
both cement mortar and concrete have with regard to their low tensile strength and high
brittleness. To counteract these characteristics, they are normally controlled by means
of steel reinforcement. As a measure to control the cracking, fibre reinforced concretes
were also used from the second half of the 20th century.
Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) is a composite material, combining a
Portland cement and steel fibres as a discontinuous reinforcement, which are randomly
distributed in the cement paste. The cement content in SFRC usually is ranged between
300 kg/m3 and 450 kg/m3. Lower amount of cement leads to a loss of workability.
SFRC needs from 35% to 45% by volume of cement paste while the plain concrete
only needs from 25% to 35%. SFRC is increasingly being used for the production of
slabs, tunnel linings, foundations, thin-shell structures and so on [1, 2].
From the durability viewpoint, corrosion of metallic fibers in aggressive environ-
ments is a risk due to the discontinuous nature of the metallic fibres in the SFRC. The
first effect is aesthetic as consequence of the surface corrosion [3]. Later, the corrosion

© RILEM 2021
P. Serna et al. (Eds.): BEFIB 2020, RILEM Bookseries 30, pp. 417–422, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58482-5_38
418 C. Andrade and M. A. Sanjuán

of the internal steel fibres may affect to the strength of the concrete structure [4, 5].
Given that, currently, the total replacement of steel bars reinforcement by SFRC is
controversial when the long-term durability of SFRC under severe environments is
addressed [6].
In present communication results are presented on the morphology of the corrosion
of fibers and whether the oxides have the expansive character as in normal
reinforcements.

2 Experimental

The main components found in the fibre reinforced concretes are the Portland cement,
both fine and coarse aggregates, water, superplasticizer and steel fibres. Therefore, the
only significant variation from a normal concrete is the addition of the fibers. Different
types of steel fibre reinforced concrete pipes have been studied for 30 years.

2.1 Materials
Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R, siliceous aggregates (sand and gravel), tap water and
superplastifier were used in the present research program. Three types of hooked steel
fibres were selected to produce the fibre reinforced concrete: carbon steel, stainless steel
and galvanized steel.

2.2 Aggressive Solutions

An aggressive solution of Na2S 9H2O (2.9 g/l) and NH4Cl (29 g/l) was prepared. In
addition, tap water was used as reference media.

2.3 Fibre Reinforced Concrete

Fibre reinforced concrete made of carbon steel, stainless steel and galvanized steel
cylindrical specimens (ø15  30 cm) were manufactured according to the mix design
shown in Table 1. Concrete slump test was performed to check the workability of
freshly made concrete, and the result was 5 cm. These specimens have an internal hole
of 5 cm of diameter in order to simulate a concrete pipe. Concrete was cured for 28
days under water and, later on, two series of the pipe specimens were subjected to the
aggressive solution (Na2S 9H2O (2.9 g/l) and NH4Cl (29 g/l)) and other two series of
the pipe specimens were kept in tap water. The concrete specimens’ layout is shown in
Fig. 1 (Table 2).

Table 1. Concrete mix design (kg/m3).

Constituent Cement Sand Gravel Water Water with superplastifier Steel fibres
Content 350 820 1110 190 154 35
 Morphology of Corrosion of Metallic Fibers in Aggressive Media 419

SoluƟon
level

Fig. 1. Steel fibre reinforced concrete specimens’ layout.

Table 2. Steel fibre reinforced concrete codes.

Water/cement Witout Steel Steel fibres with Stainless Galvanized
ratio fibres fibres 3%wt Ca(NO2)2 steel fibres steel fibres
0.55 1 2 3 4 5
0.44 (with 6 7 8 9 10
superplastifier)

After the first months of testing, some of the specimens were held at the atmosphere
for 8–9 years (sheltered from rain) while other were kept in the aggressive solutions.
Some remaining after the atmospheric conservation where introduced in NaCl solution
for further years.
The analysis of the results was not systematic and is out of present work to give
rates for deterioration. However, having been submitted to aggressive solutions, some
of the fibres fully corrode and have allowed us to study which is the kind of damage
produced.

3 Results

Some aspects of the specimens will be presented in order to appreciate the oxides and
their impact in the concrete. The specimens immersed in tap water with and without
nitrites, presented corrosion at 4 months of exposure in the superficial fibres as shown
in Fig. 2 left. However, galvanized and stainless-steel fibres were found free of
corrosion.
In the specimens held in the aggressive solutions, those without fibres presented
cracks and expansion.
On the opposite the stainless-steel fibres were not corroding as can be appreciated
in Fig. 3.
420 C. Andrade and M. A. Sanjuán

Fig. 2. Aspect of the specimens after 4 months in tap water (left) and in the aggressive solutions
(right).

Fig. 3. Concrete with stainless steel fibres after 28 years of being in contact to aggressive
solutions, air and sodium chloride solution.

The aspect of the corroding fibres is shown in Fig. 4. In the left is shown that all the
internal fibres were corroding 4 months after of attack and in the right after 28 years.

Fig. 4. Aspect of the concrete with the fibres fully corroded.

 Morphology of Corrosion of Metallic Fibers in Aggressive Media 421

Figure 5 shows aspects of the oxides and how they diffuse out of the fibre. In the
right can be detected that the concrete surrounding the fibre is not cracks in spite that in
some places the fibre has disappear completely.

Fig. 5. Aspect for the oxide’s diffusion from the fibres when corrosion is active. No cracking
around the fibres was identified.

4 Discussion

Due to the diverse environments and conditions where the specimens were held a
correct rate of degradation was not feasible, but however the work enables to deduce
well the morphology of the corrosion and that the concrete surrounding the fibres does
not seem to crack. That is, the fibres dissolve without producing visual damage in the
concrete, even at its surface. In the surface the fibres dissolve too until disappearing but
without visual cracking.
This performance can be explained in Fig. 6 where it has been tried to indicate that
the controlling factor for producing cracking due to corrosion oxides depends on the
ratio diameter of the bar/cover depth. This ratio expresses also the ratio of the surface
where the pressure is produced due to the expansive character of the oxides with
respect to the volume around the rod.

Fig. 6. Importance of the ratio cover depth/bar diameter for the cracking due to reinforcement
corrosion.
422 C. Andrade and M. A. Sanjuán

The oxides occupy a higher volume than the parent metal due to oxides have
oxygen and water in addition of the metallic atoms. The cracking of the cover due to
the pressure they impose depends on how large the cover thickness is. If it is large
enough the cracks do not reach the external surface.
In addition to this effect, we attribute to the cover thickness much larger in the case
of internal fibres, in the case of superficial fibres, very close to the surface but not
protruding, the oxides can however produce cracking which is mixed with the diffusing
oxide and the spalling is very superficial. The fibres protruding from the surface they
directly are dissolved and detached form the concrete mass due to the loss of bond.
The performance of the oxides detected enables to support the idea of a sacrificial
thickness in fibre reinforced concretes when in contact to aggressive solutions. The
corrosion is going to produce a concrete surface thickness where the fibres will dis-
appear and with this disappearance their reinforcing effect.

5 Conclusions

The specimens with stainless steel have been maintained for 28 years free of corrosion
in spite of the very aggressive solutions tested. Galvanized fibres presented a not so
good performance because some of them corrode and other not, Bare steel has corroded
in the aggressive media and in tap water. The morphology pf the corrosion shows
however that not microcracking is visually detected in the concrete surrounding the
bars which is indicative that the concrete in the attacked thickness is not to weaken and
become more permeable.

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