Work

Electrochemical Differences in the Passivity State of Reinforced Concrete for Two Mix Design Methods

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Durable reinforced concrete is a fundamental requirement in a marine environment, but at the same time it must be sustainable, meaning its production emits the least amount of greenhouse gases. Hence, the importance of achieving optimal proportioning methods. This paper presents and discusses the electrochemical differences in the passivity state of reinforced concrete specimens designed using two proportioning methods: M1 prioritizes the ultimate strength of the element, and M2 focuses on sustainability through optimized aggregate arrangement and reduced cement content. Small beams (150 mm × 150 mm × 300 mm) with varying cover thickness (15 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm), with two water/cement ratios (0.45 and 0.65), all utilizing Portland composite cement (PCC 30R), were exposed in a tropical marine environment 50 m from the seashore in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula for 700 days (passive state). Corrosion rate, corrosion potential, resistivity, and internal conditions (relative humidity and temperature) were periodically measured. A key finding revealed that M2, despite its sustainable advantage, tends to depassivation before M1, at least during the two years of exposure and while in the passive state.

Source: Buildings

DOI: 10.3390/buildings15081293

Authors: Jorge Alberto Briceño-Mena, Mercedes Guadalupe Balancán-Zapata, Edurado Jesús Pérez-García, Demetrio Nieves-Mendoza, Pedro Castro-Borges

Institutions: Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Universidad Veracruzana

Language: English

Topic: Concrete Corrosion and Durability

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137