First International Conference on Bridge Maintenance, Safety and Management

IABMAS 2002
Barcelona, 14-17 July, 2002
© IABMAS

DETERMINATION OF REINFORCEMENT CORROSION RATE BY

MEANS OF THE GALVANOSTATIC PULSE TECHNIQUE
Thomas Frølund *, Finn M. Jensen † and Ralph Bassler†

*FORCE Institute, Park Alle 345, DK–2605 Broendby

†
RAMBOLL, Bredevej 2, 2830 Virum, Denmark
†
BAM, Unter den Eichen 87, D-12200 Berlin, Germany

Key words: Corrosion rate, reinforcement, weight loss, service life predictions.

Abstract In the BRITE/EuRaM project, “ Smart Structures ”, an integrated monitoring

system was developed by eight European partners. The aim of this project was reduction of
inspection and maintenance costs as well as traffic delay and regulation costs.

One part of this project was concerned with evaluation of portable techniques for quantifying
reinforcement corrosion. During this work software for equipment based on the galvanostatic
pulse method (GPM) was developed.

The GPM is a fast polarisation technique independent of the concrete resistance. It makes it
possible within 5-10 seconds to determine the half-cell potential, the corrosion rate and the
resistance between the reinforcement and a hand held electrode system at the concrete
surface.
The software was designed to be the user interface between a galvanostatic pulse generator, a
transient response analyser and a handheld PSION WorkAbout .
This paper presents the results and analysis of the GPM measurements performed on a
highway-bridge exposed to de-icing salts as well as the results of laboratory tests.
Results of average corrosion rates determined by weight loss and galvanostatic pulse
technique are compared. At last the necessary precautions to be taken when the on site data
are used for prediction of the remaining service life of structures are discussed.

1
 Thomas Frølund , Finn M. Jensen and Ralph Bassler

1. INTRODUCTION

A high number of the European infrastructure has reached an age where the capital costs have
decreased, but the inspection and maintenance costs have grown to such extent that they
constitute a major part of the current costs of running the infrastructural system [1].
In the BRITE/EuRaM project, “ Smart Structures ”, an integrated monitoring system was
developed by eight European partners. The aim of this project was reduction of inspection and
maintenance costs as well as traffic delay and regulation costs.

One part of this project was concerned with evaluation of portable techniques for
quantifying reinforcement corrosion. During this work software for equipment based on the
galvanostatic pulse method (GPM) was developed. After developing the software, 3
Galvanostatic Pulse equipment’s were produced by FORCE Institute, one for laboratory tests
and two for on site tests. [2]

2. THE GALVANOSTATIC PULSE METHOD (GPM)

Galvanostatic pulse method is a rapid non-destructive polarisation technique, which has been
used for evaluation of reinforcement corrosion both in laboratory and on site.

A short time anodic current pulse is impressed to reinforcement galvanostatically from a

counter electrode placed on concrete surface together with a reference electrode. The applied
current is normally in the range of 5 to 400 µA and the typical pulse duration is up to 10
seconds. The small anodic current results in change of reinforcement potential, which is
recorded as a function of polarisation time. Reinforcement is polarised in anodic direction
compared to its free corrosion potential. Typical potential transient response is shown in Fig.
1.

Fig.1 Typical polarisation pattern

2
 Thomas Frølund , Finn M. Jensen and Ralph Bassler

When the constant current Iapp is applied to the system, the polarised potential of reinforce-
ment Vt, at given time t can be expressed as:

Vt = Iapp [ Rp [ 1- exp(-t / Rp Cdl)) ] + R ]

where:
Rp = polarisation resistance
Cdl = double layer capacitance
R = ohmic resistance

After the polarisation resistance Rp is determined by means of this analysis, the corrosion cur-
rent Icorr can be calculated from Stern Geary equation5:

Icorr = B/Rp

where B is an empirical constant determined to be 25 mV for actively corroding steel and 50

mV for passive steel.

The DC polarisation resistance technique with calculation of the instantaneous corrosion cur-
rent, Icorr , from Stern Geary equation, has been applied extensively since 1970.
The problem is that in real structures the area of counter electrode is much smaller than that of
the working electrode (reinforcement) and the electrical signal tends to vanish with increasing
distance.
As a result, the measured effective polarisation resistance can not be converted to a corrosion
rate.

To overcome this problem a second concentric counter electrode, (Guardring) has been used
to confine the current to the area of the central CE Fig 3.

Fig 2. Schematic set-up is showing the confined area.

3
 Thomas Frølund , Finn M. Jensen and Ralph Bassler

When the diameter of the reinforcement and the exposed length of the reinforcement (counter
electrode diameter) are known the instantaneous corrosion rate can be calculated.

3. ON-SITE INVESTIGATIONS

The project choose to use the Skovdiget bridge north of Copenhagen, Denmark as a test
bridge, as the bridge has serious problems with most of the relevant deterioration mechanisms
(chloride, carbonation, corrosion, ASR, freeze/thaw). Two parallel bridges were built in 1965-
67, where the highway crosses over a railway line, a parking lot and two minor roads. The
eastern bridge was rehabilitated extensively at a very high price in 1978, after which the
western bridge have only received much less rehabilitation, but substantial inspection, test-
loadings, probabilistic assessment etc., which essentially have kept the bridge in function at a
much less cost that the eastern part.

Initial inspections, core investigations and chloride profiling in 1999 (fig 4.) pointed out
column no. S303 to be attractive to corrosion rate measurements. Electrical continuity in the
reinforcement was checked and a permanent connection was welded to the reinforcement.

Chloride profiles in 1999 at level 0.3 m and 1 m

0.16
max carbonation front
Chloride content, % weight of concrete

0.14
0.3 m
0.12
1m
0.1

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Depth, mm

Fig. 3. The vertical reinforcement (Ø35 mm) is typically in 60 mm depth and the horizontal (Ø14 mm) in 40 mm
dept. Already in 1999 the chloride content in level 0.3 m is so high that active corrosion can be expected.

In September 2000 and in April 2001 corrosion rates were determined as well as the half-cell
potentials (fig 4).

4
 Thomas Frølund , Finn M. Jensen and Ralph Bassler

Column S303 : HCP-measurements (mV CSE)

100-150
50-100
200 0-50

166 -50-0

cm
Height,
-100--50
133
-150--100
100
-200--150
1 mm 66
vertical -250--200
cracks in 33 -300--250
the column
0
-350--300
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
-400--350
West South East North West
-450--400
Degrees from due West -500--450

Column S303 : Corrosion rate ( µA/cm2)

200
0-2
166 2-4

Height, cm
4-6
133
6-8
100 8-10
10-12
66
12-14
1 mm 33 14-16
vertical 16-18
0
cracks in 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 18-20
the column
West South East North West
Degrees from due West

Fig. 4. Half cell potentials and corrosion rates in September 2000

The corrosion rate is up to 32 µA/cm2 at 300 degrees as high as level 33 cm at a potential of –

300mV vs. CSE. At the same level at 90 degrees the corrosion rate is
7 µA/cm2 at a potential lower than –450mV vs. CSE. The potential level here indicates lack of
oxygen in agreement with the somewhat lower corrosion rate.
The differences of corrosion rates in September 2000 and April 2001 are shown in fig. 5

5
 Thomas Frølund , Finn M. Jensen and Ralph Bassler

100
level 0.33m Sep2000
level 0.33m Apr2001
80 level 1m Sep2000
level 1mApr2001

µA/cm2 60

40

20

0
0 60 120 180 240 300 360
Degrees

Fig.5 Difference in corrosion rate from September 2000 and April 2001

As reported in former work [7] there is a change in the corrosion rate over the year due to
changes in temperature and water content in the pore water system. These data show that the
changes at some points can change in either direction with a factor of at least 2.
Exposure of the reinforcement in 1999 at 90 degrees and at level 0.1m showed reinforcement
cross section reduction in the range of 1-2 mm). A cross section reduction of 2 mm over 33
years corresponds to an average corrosion rate of approx.
5 µA/ cm2. Assuming that the corrosion did not initiate before 10 years, increases the average
corrosion rate to 9µA/cm2, which is with in the range of corrosion rates determined at this
position by the GPM.

4. LABORATORY TESTS
Parallel to the on-site investigations a number of laboratory tests were made.
7 concrete test blocks were made with 2 reinforcement bars. These blocks were exposed to
chlorides for 40 days and the corrosion rate was measured regularly by GPM to determine the
variation of the corrosion rate over time (fig 6).
10
9 SC 41 A+B
KR 41 A+B
Current Density, µA/cm²

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 1000 2000 3000
Time, h

Fig.6. Variation of corrosion rates determined by GPM

6
 Thomas Frølund , Finn M. Jensen and Ralph Bassler

At the end of the exposure time, the blocks were crushed and the reinforcement was cleaned
for corrosion products. The weight loss of every reinforcement bar was determined and by
means of Faradays law translated to µA/cm2. As the weight loss corresponds to the average
corrosion rate it has been necessary to integrate the corrosion rates as determined by GPM
over time in order to compare the results.

Weight loss GPM

Avg. mV vs. Avg.
Description Corr.rate Ag/AgC Corr.rate
µA/cm² l µA/cm²
bar A
4.6 -345 3,11
bar B
4,8 -334 2,47
bar A and B
4,7 -345 5,24
connected

There is a good correlation between the corrosion rates determined by GPM and the rates
determined by weight loss. The under estimation of the rate at the bars not connected is
probably due to the length of the bars. When the bars are not connected the spread out of the
Guard ring current is limited and will influence the confined area.

5. CONCLUSIONS

It is important to emphasise that the obtained corrosion rate is an instantaneous average rate
for the confined area that strictly apply to the measuring conditions.
To overcome this problem it was necessary to integrate the frequent corrosion rate
measurements over time in the laboratory for comparison of the corrosion rate determined by
weight loss measurements. The results from the laboratory show very good correlation
between corrosion rates determined by weight loss and corrosion rates determined by GPM.
Corrosion rates obtained on-site by the galvanostatic pulse method (GPM) are comparable to
average corrosion rates calculated from actual cross section loss at places where the actual
corroding area is the same as the confined area.
It is obvious that wrong estimation of the amount of reinforcement fx.3 bars parallel or
crossing make the average corrosion rate to high but also cracks and delamination are often
the reason for wrong corrosion rate estimates.
For lifetime predictions a more detailed knowledge of the daily and seasonal changes of
corrosion rate is required in order to obtain meaningful values. It is essential to combine the
corrosion rate measurements on-site with fx. post mounted corrosion and chloride sensors or a
number of other NDE methods to determine the concrete integrity and penetration rates.

7
 Thomas Frølund , Finn M. Jensen and Ralph Bassler

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to acknowledge the European Communities, Brite/EuRam project
”Integrated Monitoring Systems for Durability Assessment of Concrete Structures”, BRPR-
CT98-0751 and the other project partners Autostrade, Danish Road Institute, S+R Sensortec
GmbH, Osmos Deha-Com SA and Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfarth, Institut für
Flugführung.

REFERENCES

[1] Broomfield, J. P., “ Assessing Corrosion Damage on Reinforced Concrete Structures”,

Proceedings of the International Conference: “Corrosion and Corrosion Protection of Steel in
Concrete”, Sheffield, pp. 1-21, July 1994.

[2] Danish Patent 171925B1 1997.

[3] Klinghoffer, O.;Rislund, E.;Frølund, T.;Elsener, B.;Schiegg and Y.;Böhni H. “Assessment of

Reinforcement Corrosion by Galvanostatic Pulse Technique, Proc. Int. Conf. on Repair of
Concrete Strictures, Svolvaer, Norway, pp 391 – 400,1997.

[4] Mietz, J. and Isecke, B., ”Electrochemical Potential Monitoring on Reinforced Concrete
Structures using Anodic Pulse Technique”, in “Non destructive Testing in Civil Engineering” ed.
Bungey, H., The British Institute of NDT, 2, 567,1993.

[5] Newton, C.J. and Sykes, J.M., “A Galvanostatic Pulse Technique for investigation of Steel
Corrosion in Concrete”, Corrosion Science 28, pp. 1051-1074, 1988,

[6] Stern, M., and Geary, A.L., “Electrochemical Polarisation. A Theoretical Analysis of the Shape of
Polarisation curves.” J. Electrochemical Society, 104, pp. 56-63, 1957.

[7] Frølund, T., Klinghoffer, O. and Poulsen, E., “Rebar Corrosion Rate Measurements for Service
Life Estimates “ ACI Fall convention 2000. Toronto Canada.