Developments in the use of stainless steel reinforcement for civil engineering structures

摘要

It is now widely recognised that corrosion of carbon steel reinforcement in highway structures can seriously limit the durability of the structure, leading to extensive maintenance of the structure within the intended design life. The main cause of reinforcement corrosion on bridges is ingress of chloride ions from either road de-icing salts or exposure to marine environments. In the environments found within chloride contaminated concrete the use of stainless steel reinforcement represents an inherently corrosion resistant material. The use of stainless steel has historically been limited because of the perception of high initial material costs. However, in recent years the real cost of stainless steel reinforcement has decreased and an increasing awareness of the disruption and cost of maintenance to highway structures allied to a greater awareness of sustainability issues has led to renewed interest in the use of corrosion resistant reinforcement. This interest has over the last 3 years led to both UK utilities and stainless steel producers funding research into the use of stainless steel reinforcement in civil engineering applications. The results of this research will soon be entering the public domain as either guidance documents or in the form of market development materials. These are important developments, although the consideration and use of stainless steel has increased in recent times further development has been hampered by a lack of clear guidance on both the specification and possible cost of using stainless steel.