Effect of the Type of Curing on the Corrosion Behavior of Concrete Exposed to Urban and Marine Environment

Abstract

This study analyzes the electrochemical behavior of AISI 1018 steel as reinforcement in concrete exposed to the Xalapa city (urban environment) and seawater (marine environment). Two concrete mixtures were made, with ratio w/c of 0.45 and 0.65, according to the method of ACI 211.1. The specimens underwent three types of curing, the first was submerged in water for 27 days as indicated by the ONNCCE regulations, the second was cured as it is done on oeuvre (moisturizing the elements in the morning and in the afternoon) and the third one exposing to the environment (without applying water), before placing them in the exposition environment. The results of more than 340 days of monitoring of Ecorr and Icorr demonstrate that the marine environment is the most aggressive in the corrosion of reinforced concrete, with a better performance of the concrete of ratio w/c=0.45 and with a curing according to normative.