Oral Presentation Ninth International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering 2025

Effects of repair on chloride diffusion and corrosion damage in concrete structures (113177)

CHIHIRO YOSHII 1 , Fabio Biondini 1
  1. Politecnico di Milano, MILANO, MI, Italy

This paper investigates the effects of repair interventions on time-variant chloride diffusion and corrosion processes in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Experiencing repair works during service life should shift the original RC structure to an upgraded system consisting of old and new materials. Furthermore, repair strategies in terms of repair technique and timing of application may influence the redistribution of chloride ions in concrete, the future evolution of the corrosion damage, and its impact on the long-term structural performance. Four repair techniques applied to RC structures suffering chloride-induced corrosion are considered: painting structural surface with coating material, passivation of reinforcing steel bars, replacement of damaged concrete cover, and electrochemical chloride removal. The effects of repair actions are investigated for a RC cross-section in terms of chloride diffusion, corrosion damage propagation, and time-variant flexural capacity. The results show that electrochemical chloride removal combined with the concrete surface protection is effective in delaying corrosion damage, while replacement with concrete surface coating and passivation can prolong the structural lifetime. The results also offer guidance to select repair interventions according to structural age