Corrosion rate values in real structures and their statistical distribution

Abstract

For the assessment of the condition of a large structure as a football stadium suffering reinforcement corrosion, the first step is the identification of the corroding zones and their level of damage. In present communication is presented the methodology used to appraise the condition of the stadium by grouping the different structural elements and assess the residual life from the corrosion rates measured through the Linear Polarization technique (LPR) using a modulated confinement of the current, to identify the corrosion levels. As remedial action it was identified the use of surface applied inhibitors. There has been introduced recently a new generation of inhibitors that when tested through the LRP technique results more efficient than old ones, although not all of their mechanisms of action have been yet disclosed. Then, for comparative purposes of inhibitor efficiency, zones with corroding reinforcements were selected in which the inhibitors where applied and the corrosion rates measured before and after their application. In the paper is commented the uncertainty of single measurements of corrosion rates and how to interpret their possible evolution in the future.