Corrosion inhibitors have long been considered one of the most effective solutions to the problem of corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete structures, but limited information is available on their actual long-term performance and effectiveness in the field. The field performance and effectiveness of eight commercially available corrosion-inhibiting systems for use in concrete were assessed on a newly reconstructed barrier wall of the Vachon Bridge near Montreal. These corrosion-inhibiting systems included concrete admixtures, reinforcing steel coatings, and concrete surface coatings/sealers. Special rebar ladders were embedded in the barrier wall to provide different thicknesses of concrete cover to provide an initial evaluation of the performance of the applied corrosion-inhibiting systems. On-site corrosion surveys, including half-cell potential and corrosion rate measurements, along with concrete coring were conducted yearly. Parallel electrochemical tests on the performance of corrosion-inhibiting systems were also carried out in the laboratory. The results indicate that the system containing the inorganic-based admixture performed better than the other systems in reducing or delaying the corrosion of reinforcement in the concrete barrier wall.
Keywords: concrete admixtures, corrosion inhibitor, reinforcement corrosion, half-cell potential, polarisation resistance, electrical resistivity, cyclic voltammetry.