Corrosion of embedded metal

(Types of reinforcement – Bare steels)

Prabha Mohandoss Ph.D.

CEPE12 – Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Structures
Department of Civil Engineering
National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli, Trichy 620015
Courtesy: Some images are sourced from the internet for demonstration purposes.
Outline of
Module on corrosion of embedded metal
 Significance
 Fundamentals of corrosion
 Carbonation-induced corrosion
 Chloride-induced corrosion
 Different types of steel reinforcement and
precautions to be taken
• Bare steel
• Coated steels
• Non-metallic rebars
 Corrosion in prestressed concrete
Why do we need to ensure that the
construction materials are of good quality?
 Causes of structural failure
• Technological - 42% (materials)
• Constructional - 22%
• Structural - 12% Most structural failures
• Overloading - 3% happen due to
• Foundations - 7%
• Accidents - 4% material deterioration
• Others - 5%

Vedalakshmy, CECRI
A balanced approach is needed to
enhance the service life.

1 2
Steel with enhanced Cover-crete with enhanced
resistance against resistance against the ingress
corrosion of deleterious elements

Synergistic effects needs to be considered

Grades of rebars available in India
- as per IS 1786:2016
 Fe 250
 Fe 415, Fe 415D, Fe 415S
 Fe 500, Fe 500D, Fe 500S
 Fe 550, Fe 550D
 Fe 600
 Fe 700

Higher grade steel must be used only if approved by structural engineers.

Adhoc changes at site to reduce congestion should not be practiced.
sm is the mean strength.
Influence of different chemical ingredients
on properties of rebars
Effect on rebars
Chemicals Controlling property when at suitable
concentration
Carbon (C) Hardness, strength, weldability and brittleness
< 0.1% carbon  reduced strength
> 0.3% carbon  unweldable and brittle
Manganese (Mn) Yield strength
Sulphur (S) Brittleness
Phosphorous (P) Strength and brittleness
Copper (Cu) Strength and corrosion resistance
Chromium (Cr) Weldability and corrosion resistance

Carbon equivalent Hardness, tensile strength and weldability

(CE or Ceq)

Basu et al. 2004

Types of Reinforcing Bars/strands
1. Plain and ribbed (hot rolled) mild steel bars

2. Cold twisted deformed (CTD) steel bars

3. Thermo-mechanically treated (TMT) or
Quenched and self-tempered (QST) steel bars

4. Corrosion-resistant steel (CRS) bars

5. Stainless steel bars

6. Prestressing steel strands

7. Galvanized steel bars

8. Fusion-bonded-epoxy coated (FBEC) steel bars

9. Cement-polymer-composite coated (CPCC) steel bars

10. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars

1. Plain and ribbed (hot-rolled) mild steel
bars
 Plain bars
• First type of hot-rolled bars (after the flat/strip reinforcement)
• More resistant to corrosion than the cold-rolled steels
• Not very much used in construction – due to the demand for
higher strength
 Ribbed bars
• Enhanced bond strength

Varghese, 2012
2. Cold-Twisted Deformed (CTD) bars

 Ribbed steel bars, twisted to

increase the yield strength
• Cold-working or Work-hardening
• Cold: at a temperature below the
recrystallization temperature (usually
between 400 and 700 °C)
• Residual stresses
 Resistance to corrosion decreases
due to the residual stresses

Callister, 2017
2. Cold working process can lead to…

 Anisotropy in polycrystalline metals due to the

deformation of the grains.
before rolling after rolling

rolling direction
Anisotropic – elongated
235 mm
and oriented grains
Isotropic – equiaxed
grains

CTD bars are no longer used due to poor corrosion resistance

Callister (2017)
3. Thermomechanically Treated (TMT)
or Quenched and Self-Tempered (QST) Bars
Process • After hot rolling to the desired size
and shape, the low carbon steel bars
are quenched with water and then
cooled.
• Quenching converts the surface layer
to (hard) martensite while the core
remains as austenite.
• As the bar cools, heat flows from the
core to the surface layer turning it to
tempered martensite. The core
transforms to ductile ferrite-pearlite.

Effect

Varghese (2016)
3. Thermomechanically Treated (TMT)
or Quenched and Self-Tempered (QST) Bars
 Advantages
• Low cost, high strength
• High ductility (good for earthquake regions)
• Elongation around 18-30%
• Excellent weldability
• No cold-working (better corrosion resistance)
 Identification/selection of TMT/QST bars
• Select only if the hardened periphery and softer core are uniform and
concentric in nature
• Ideal if 20 to 30% of bar cross-sectional area is hardened periphery
• Not ideal if >50% of bar cross-sectional area is hardened periphery
(ductility reduces)
• “TM-Ring” test
3. TM-Ring test for quality assessment of
TMT rebars

Exposed to 5% Nital
solution for 5 minutes

Imaged under specific

lighting conditions
3. Short videos of TM-Ring tests

POOR GOOD
Nital test
TMT/QST rebars are cut, polished, cold mounted in 25 mm moulds and etched using a
5% Nital solution (Nitric acid in ethanol)

Nair and Pillai (2017), “TM-Ring test – A quality Control test for TMT (or QST) Steel reinforcing bars used in reinforced concrete
systems,” ICI Journal, April-June 2017
3. Identifying good and poor quality
QST/TMT steels
GOOD POOR POOR POOR

Red dots indicate the peripheral regions with imperfect TM phase.

Better quality control of TMT steel is essential

– through regulations and more awareness

Nair and Pillai (2017), “TM-Ring test – A quality Control test for TMT (or QST) Steel reinforcing bars used in reinforced concrete
systems,” ICI Journal, April-June 2017
Rebars with discontinuities observed predominantly in 8
and 12 mm diameter rebars (stirrups)

A B C D E
8 mm
12 mm
16 mm
3. Poor TM-ring can cause surface
cracking

No cracking Severe cracking

3. Shear stirrups with a bend angle of 135o

Must check the surface crack resistance if used for shear

stirrups with a bend angle of 135o
(as in the case of earthquake resistant designs)

Nair and Pillai (2017), “TM-Ring test – A quality Control test for TMT (or QST) Steel reinforcing bars used in reinforced concrete
systems,” ICI Journal, April-June 2017
Bend Test (IS 1608) - Specimen is considered
to pass the test, if there is no crack or rupture
4. Corrosion Resistant Steel (CRS)
reinforcement
 Bars with small quantities of copper and chromium, and
higher than usual percentage of phosphorus.
• Carbon – 0.15%
• Manganese – 1%
• Sulphur – 0.04%
• Phosphorous – 0.10%
• Silicon – 0.45%
• Corrosion resistant elements – 0.50% (minimum)
 Test the chloride threshold of CRS-cementitious systems and
ensure that the desired service life can be achieved
5. Stainless Steels

• > 11% of chromium + Nickel and molybdenum

• Passive film – mainly chromium oxide
Corroded piers Pristine piers
with black steel with stainless
rebars steel rebars
(built 30 years
later than those
on the right!)

Hansson (2016); Illston & Domone (2001)

5. Stainless steels

165 tons of 2205 (duplex) stainless rebar Stainless steel rebar on a bridge deck of
were supplied for the new ramp of the the 407 Highway, Toronto.
Garden State Parkway in New Jersey (1998)

There is a trend to use combinations of stainless and other steel rebars in same
structural elements. Possibility of galvanic corrosion and its effect on service life
must be checked before using such combinations.

http://www.stainless-rebar.org/
6. Prestressing steel strands
Sheathed strand

Fusion-bonded
epoxy coated
strand
Strands are
supplied in
coils – why?

http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00DvmTwkJGLouV/PC-Strand-2.jpg; http://www.tootoo.com/buy-unbonded_pc_steel_strand/;
https://p.globalsources.com/IMAGES/PDT/BIG/210/B1044909210.jpg
https://www.holidify.com/images/cmsuploads/compressed/Bandra_Worli_Seal_Link_20180601182843.jpg;
https://cooksbuildingsupply.com/
http://somerseng.com/post-tension-slabs/
 6. High-strength steel cables and strands
Metro Railways

Elevated highways & flyovers

Bridges over seawater

Power plants
6. Prestressing steel

 Typical composition of prestressing steel

Element Cu Co Al Ni Mo Cr S P Mn Si C Fe
PS steel (%) 0.02 0.01 0.04 0.02 0 0.27 0 0.06 0.83 0.29 0.84 remaining

Before cold-drawing After cold-drawing

Pearlitic
structure with a
matrix of Ferrite
with plates of
Cementite

 Ultimate strength is about 4 to 5 times more than that of

typical reinforcing steels

Toribio et al. (1998, 2005)

6. Prestressing steel

 Overstressing can decrease the corrosion resistance

Reduced number of corrosion cells can also lead to faster growth of
the existing corrosion pits

Li et al. (2011)
Summary
• Balanced approach
– Quality of both steel and concrete are important
• Demand for higher strength and better corrosion resistance
• CTD bars are no longer used due to poor corrosion resistance
• Better quality control of TMT steel is essential
– TM-Ring test
– Crack resistance of TMT must be checked before using them to make the
shear stirrups (bend angle > 135o)
• Chloride threshold of steel
• Stainless steels offer good resistance to corrosion
– When used in combination with other steels, ensure that the
possible galvanic corrosión is minimal
• Prestressing steel can be prone to deep pitting corrosion;
overstressing must be avoided
References

Amir Poursaee, Corrosion of steel in concrete structures, Woodhead Publishing, Science

direct, (2016), https://doi.org/10.1016/C2014-0-01384-6 C.
ACI 222.2R-01, Corrosion of Prestressing Steels, Reported by ACI Committee 222
Bhaskaran R., Bhalla L., Rahman A., Juneja S., Sonik U., Kour J., Rengaswamy N. S.,
An Analysis of the Updated Cost of Corrosion in India, Material Performance, NACE
International (2014)
C. M. Hansson , A. Poursaee, S. J. Jaffer, Corrosion of Reinforcing Bars in Concrete, The
Masterbuilder - December 2012
http://www.stainless-rebar.org/​
Callister, William D. Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction. New York: John
Wiley & Sons, 1997. Print.
Fontana, Mars G. and Greene, Norbert D.  Corrosion engineering / Mars G. Fontana,
Norbert D. Greene  McGraw-Hill New York  1978
Gardoni, P., Pillai, R.G., Hueste, M.D., Reinschmidt, K.F., and Trejo, D., “Probabilistic
capacity models for post-tensioning strands calibrated using laboratory results,” ASCE
Journal of Engineering Mechanics, 135 (9): 906-916, September 2009
G. Koch, J. Varney, N. Thompson, O. Moghissi, M. Gould, J. Payer, International
Measures of Prevention, Application, and Economics of Corrosion Technologies Study,
NACE International (2016) 1–30. http://impact.nace.org/documents/Nace-International-
Report.pdf.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/library_sub.cfm?keyword=020
References
 Hansson and B. Sørensen, "The Threshold Concentration of Chloride in Concrete for the Initiation
of Reinforcement Corrosion," in Corrosion Rates of Steel in Concrete, ed. N. Berke, V. Chaker,
and D. Whiting (West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International, 1990), 3-
16. https://doi.org/10.1520/STP25011S
 Nair and Pillai (2017), “TM-Ring test – A quality Control test for TMT (or QST)
Steel reinforcing bars used in reinforced concrete systems,” ICI Journal, April-June 2017
 Prabir C. Basu, Shylamoni P. and Roshan A. D. . and Roshan A. D., Characterisation of steel
reinforcement for RC structures: An overview and related issues, Indian Concrete journal (2004),
PP 19-30
 Peter Domone and John Illston, Construction Materials Fourth edition, EPDF
 P. C. Varghese, Building materials, Technology and Engineering, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., Feb 2015
 R. Vedalakshmi, K. Kumar, V. Raju, N. S. Rengaswamy, Effect of prior damage on the
performance of cement-based coatings on rebar: Macrocell corrosion studies, Cement and
Concrete Composites. 22 (2000) 417–421. doi:10.1016/S0958-9465(00)00041-X.
 Marianna Luna Sousa Rivetti, José da Silva Andrade Neto, Nilson Santana de Amorim Júnior and
Daniel Véras Ribeiro (December 20th 2017). Corrosion Inhibitors for Reinforced Concrete,
Corrosion Inhibitors, Principles and Recent Applications, Mahmood Aliofkhazraei, IntechOpen,
DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.72772. https://www.intechopen.com/books/corrosion-inhibitors-
principles-and-recent-applications/corrosion-inhibitors-for-reinforced-concrete
 Hoar, T.P., The production and breakdown of the passivity of metals (1967) Corrosion Science, 7
(6), pp. 341-355