Performance of Carbon Steel and Galvanized Steel in Reinforced Concrete Structures after Accelerated Carbonation

摘要

The aim of this paper is to study the effects of carbonation on the electrochemical properties of carbonsteel and galvanized steel, immersed into cubic prisms of concrete elaborated with Portland pozzolaniccement. Reinforced concrete specimens using these two metallic materials were exposed in acarbonation chamber. In a short time period changes in carbon steel and galvanized steel potentials andin concrete resistivity indicated an increase in carbonation of steel rebar. During the test period it wasobserved that zinc, instead to be in active conditions, attains lower corrosion rate than carbon steel.This behavior allows to assume the use of galvanized steel as an option to enlarge useful life ofreinforced concrete structures in carbonated environments.