Corrosion Performance Tests for Reinforcing Steel in Concrete: Technical Report (0-4825-1)

The existing test method used to assess the corrosion performance of reinforcing steel embedded in concrete, mainly ASTM G 109, is labor intensive, time consuming, slow to provide comparative results, and can be expensive. However, with corrosion of reinforcement a major challenge to the durability of infrastructure systems, improvements in the corrosion performance of materials could add significant value. With limited resources, new procedures and test methods are needed to assess corrosion performance of potentially value-adding materials. This research evaluated four accelerated test procedures (rapid macrocell (a.k.a. mini-macrocell), ACT test, CCIA test, and a modified ASTM G109 test) and compared these tests with the standard ASTM G 109 tests. The reasonableness of the test results, test simplicity, test cost, and test duration were all assessed. Results indicate that the rapid macrocell, ACT, and CCIA tests can reduce the time required to perform the tests by approximately 90 percent compared to standard ASTM G 109 test. Not considering the one-time equipment cost, the rapid macrocell, ACT, and CCIA decrease the cost by approximately 75, 58, and 67 percent compared to the standard ASTM G 109 test, respectively. The rapid macrocell test was determined to be relatively simple while the CCIA and ACT tests were considered to be more complex to perform. Based on the research findings, it is proposed that TxDOT use the rapid macrocell test to evaluate the corrosion performance of most materials. To evaluate the performance of dielectric coatings on reinforcement, it is recommended that the MG 109 test be used to evaluate these system types. For specific testing needs, other tests may be appropriate.