Corrosion and Corrosion Protection for Buildings and Structures

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 3586

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Building Materials Research – Conservation and Repair, RWTH Aachen Universiy, Schinkelstrasse 3, 52062 Aachen, Germany
Interests: materials; concrete; steel; masonry; wood; corrosion; durability; repair; protection

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Guest Editor
Engineering Materials and Building Preservation, Helmut-Schmidt-University/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, 22043 Hamburg, Germany
Interests: steel and corrosion; sustainable construction; condition assessment; service life; testing and SHM

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reinforced concrete is the most commonly used building material, which is used worldwide in infrastructure. Due to its limited tensile strength, steel reinforcement is usually provided to create a powerful composite material. However, due to various mechanisms, these reinforcements often corrode. In particular, when chlorides are attacking the structures, the corrosion rates can be very high and result in serious damages, including partial or complete collapses.

The mechanisms of corrosion of steel in concrete are highly complex, and due to the huge number of influencing factors from the materials for concrete and reinforcement, as well as environmental factors, corrosion of the reinforcement is difficult to quantify and predict. Therefore, the corrosion evaluation and selection of protection and repair measures need to be carried out individually for each concrete structure. Due to the lack of understanding of corrosion and protection mechanisms, in practise, decisions on the best maintenance and repair methods are difficult.

If the durability of all relevant repair and protection methods is known, reliable life-cycle-oriented management is possible. Therefore, modeling of the durability regarding corrosion is an important topic. Effective sensor-based monitoring systems are required to support inspection and supervision of the status of buildings and prevent unexpected corrosion problems. These will be integrated in digital building models in future, allowing effective building maintenance.

Additionally, traditional cement as binder for concrete will eventually be replaced by more sustainable materials. In this context, there is an urgent need to investigate how these new binders will influence the corrosion behaviour of the reinforcement and durability of concrete structures and which protection measures are required.

This Special Issue covers the corrosion mechanisms and protection of reinforcements in old, new and future concrete.

Prof. Dr. Michael Raupach
Prof. Dr. Sylvia Kessler
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • reinforcement corrosion
  • corrosion protection
  • alternative binders
  • cathodic protection
  • corrosion monitoring
  • BIM-based maintenance
  • case studies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 31060 KiB  
Article
Experimental Assessment of Mechanical Properties of Corroded Low–Alloy Structural Steel
by Yao Chen, Boshi Ma and Ruihua Lu
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051457 - 17 May 2024
Viewed by 874
Abstract
This study investigates the mechanical properties of corroded Q355B structural steel subjected to a simulated marine atmosphere and an industrial atmosphere. The micro-morphology of corroded steel in two different environments was analyzed by SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Tension tests were performed to determine [...] Read more.
This study investigates the mechanical properties of corroded Q355B structural steel subjected to a simulated marine atmosphere and an industrial atmosphere. The micro-morphology of corroded steel in two different environments was analyzed by SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Tension tests were performed to determine the degradation laws of the mechanical properties of corroded steel, including its yield strength, ultimate strength, elastic modulus, ultimate strain and elongation after fracture. The test results indicate that the elongation after fracture of the steel is the most severely deteriorated property after corrosion. The recommended empirical formula for limiting the maximum corrosion rate is established. It is found that when the initial elongation is 30%, the maximum allowable corrosion rate is 19.2%. Based on the achieved results, a simplified time-dependent stress–strain model of Q355B structural steel is established considering the coupling effects of corrosive environments and applied stress, which is also evaluated using relevant research. In addition, axial compression tests were conducted on corroded square stud columns to verify the effectiveness of the established model. It is indicated that the model can be used for fitness-for-purpose analyses in structural integrity assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corrosion and Corrosion Protection for Buildings and Structures)
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20 pages, 9752 KiB  
Article
Passivation of Steel Reinforcement in Low Carbon Concrete
by Rebecca Achenbach and Michael Raupach
Buildings 2024, 14(4), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14040895 - 26 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 900
Abstract
Both the high CO2 emissions associated with cement production and the increasing demand for concrete call for the use of binder types that can be produced in a more climate-friendly way than that of ordinary Portland cement. To ensure that these binders [...] Read more.
Both the high CO2 emissions associated with cement production and the increasing demand for concrete call for the use of binder types that can be produced in a more climate-friendly way than that of ordinary Portland cement. To ensure that these binders can also be used in reinforced concrete structures, their influence on the corrosion behavior of embedded steel reinforcement must be investigated. In the study presented here, the passivation behavior of steel in mortars made from various new types of binders is investigated. In addition to alkali-activated materials with high and low calcium contents, a calcium sulfoaluminate cement and a binder produced from calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) phases, synthesized in an autoclave, were investigated. While the steel clearly passivated in the alkali-activated slag and the C-S-H binder, the calcium sulfoaluminate cement showed the lowest open circuit potentials and polarization resistances, indicating a less effective level of passivation. The metakaolin geopolymer with a potassium-based activator showed an onset of passivation that was dependent on the environment of the specimens at an early age, whereas the alkali-activated fly ash with a sodium-based activator showed a delay in passivation that was not influenced by the environment of the specimens at an early age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corrosion and Corrosion Protection for Buildings and Structures)
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Review

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20 pages, 2515 KiB  
Review
Effects of Niobium Addition on the Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Microalloyed Steels: A Review
by André Vitor Benedito, Carlos Alberto Benedetty Torres, Rebecca Mansur de Castro Silva, Pablo Augusto Krahl, Daniel Carlos Taissum Cardoso, Flávio de Andrade Silva and Carlos Humberto Martins
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1462; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051462 - 17 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1292
Abstract
Steel structures are prone to corrosion, a chemical reaction between steel and the atmosphere that gradually weakens the material. Over time, this reaction can significantly reduce the structural integrity and lifespan of steel elements. Without intervention, corrosion can cause structures to fail, leading [...] Read more.
Steel structures are prone to corrosion, a chemical reaction between steel and the atmosphere that gradually weakens the material. Over time, this reaction can significantly reduce the structural integrity and lifespan of steel elements. Without intervention, corrosion can cause structures to fail, leading to financial, environmental, and potential human losses. Enhancing steel’s corrosion resistance is crucial, and one method involves adding niobium (Nb). Niobium microalloyed steels are known for their increased strength, and some research indicates that Nb may also improve corrosion resistance by making the grain structure of the steel finer. However, the complete potential of Nb in corrosion prevention remains underexplored, with significant research gaps across various scales, from microstructural impacts on durability to macroscopic effects on mechanical properties. The research community has utilized numerous experimental approaches to test corrosion resistance under different conditions, but there is a lack of comprehensive studies that aggregate and analyze these findings. This paper seeks to fill that void by reviewing the impact of Nb on the strength and corrosion resistance of structural steels, examining how steel beams’ ultimate capacity degrades over time and identifying key areas where further research is needed to understand Nb’s role in mitigating corrosion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corrosion and Corrosion Protection for Buildings and Structures)
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