CATHODIC PROTECTION OF COASTAL CONCRETE — A REVIEW OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING SUITABILITY LEUNG, Stephen KM READ, AS Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Lid Hong Kong SAR, China LEUNG, Peter WC FUNG, Kevin KL Civil Engineering and Development Department ‘The Government ofthe Hong Kong SAR, China Funahashi, Miki, PE MUI International ‘www.mui-int.com Abstract Reinforced conerete structures can be and often are dhrable, being designed by selecting the correct concrete mises and depth of cover, ec. However, for a rmumber of reasons concrete can perform Below our expecation such as poor workmanship, lack of are or ‘environmental changes. These structures often require repairs due to corrosion of reinforcement as @ mater ‘of tine. Once corrasion starts it becomes progressively worse as the corrosion products spall and erack the concrete. Conerete marine sructures such as jets, piers. dock gates, dam. ete are even more crcl ax the concrete is subject to more severe attack by sea water Sooner or later these marine siructres require repair and tis is abways a costly busines. Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICP) of reinforced concrete is considered to be an appropriate ‘method of protecting the steel reinforcement from chloride attack, however, it has not been extensively tused in Hong Kong. Thus local knowledge has been limited and expertise has often had to be imported from ‘overseas. Although CP technology has been developed for aver 30 years and international codes and ‘standards have been developed for design and its application, it 1s not generally well understood or selected as a repair method. Recently, the government has been adopting this corrosion protection technology to provide long-term cost-effective soluions for their maintenance strategy for ferry piers. This paper has been prepared to look Iino the factors affecting the suitability of cathodic Protection for marine reinforced conerete structures in Hong Kong, Keywords Impressed current cathodic protection, polarization, ‘chloride profile, corrosion current, current disribution Introduction ‘Traditionally, the conventional method of concrete repair is patch repair but the repair does not last very long. Also, where eblorides are present in the concrete delamination of concrete may occur atthe plane of the reinforcement without visible sign of cracks and the sirueture can collapse catastrophicall. If chlorides are present in significant quantities or at great depth then removal of concrete behind reinforcement becomes more difficult. Cathodic protection to reinforced conerete marine structures seems 10 bea suitable option forthe control ‘of corrosion of reinforcement to chloride contaminated cconerete and a sensible altemative to demolition and replacement. ‘The cathodic protection method was developed in the United States to combat the deterioration of bridge Gecks caused by the de-icing salts for over 30 year The basic principles of cathodie protection are well understood and are known 10 work for chloride- ‘contaminated concrete. Since the environment in Hong Kong is very corrosive to reinforced concrete structures, the application of cathodic protection is cost effective and now growing. There are five fery piers, Hung Hom North and South Piers, Sai Wan Ho ‘West and Bast Piers and Shek Pik Pier have already plemented the ICCP system for protection of the Pier deck structures a a long-term repair strategy. ‘The following are experiences and views obiained from the design and installation of the CP system for the five piers. 2. Cathodic Protection of Reinforced Concrete Structures Concept of Cathodic Protection Cathodic protection is the cathodic polarization ofall noble potential areas (cathodes) to the most active potential (anodes) on the metal surface. Cathodic protection is achieved by making the structure the cathode of a direct current circuit in which the flow of current is adjusted o assure thatthe polarized potential is a least as active as the most active anodie site onthe structure‘There are two types of cathodic protection, galvanic (sacrificial) and impressed current cathodic protection: Galvanic (Sacrificial) Cathodic Protection Galvanic CP is based on the principle of dissimilar ‘metal corrosion, When an active metal is electrically connected to a more noble metal in an electrolyte, galvanic current flows from the active metal 10 the noble metal through the electrolyte (concrete) due to the potential difference. (Figure 1) Therefore, no ‘extemal power source is needed with this type of system and much less maintenance is required. In this ype of system the anode is consumed (sacrfieial) as the galvanic eurrent generated, In pst, the sacrificial anode systems were probably the least tied method for reinforced concrete structures due to their low driving volage. Sscrifcal anodes provided insufficient curent for protection in relatively lectcally resistive conerete, The seeond reason Was the uncenny about the eess ofthe formation ofthe anode corrosion products duwing. its sacrificial behaviour. The anodes were normally buried in the concrete cover, hence the possibility of formation of expansive corrosion products or voids where the ‘nodes used to be, has caused concer, However, in 1995 intensive R&D programs were initiated. to develop. new sarifiial anodes. sponsored by che Federal Highway Administration in the US. The new developed alloy (Al-Zo-1) has high potential to drive ‘greater cathodic protection curent During last five ‘year, the new galvanie CP system has become popular Zand applied to more than 30,000 m of various concrete structures. in. several counties, including. the US, Canada and Australia, Furthermore, several tials have recently been carted out inthe UK, Saudi Arabia and Japan, ed ei OUD Giese Fig’ Galvanie Cathodie Protection Impressed Current Cathodic Protection ‘An impressed current CP system is illustrated in Figure 2 ‘As shown in Figure 2, impressed current CP is achieved by driving a low voltage direct curent from relatively inert anode material, through the conerete to the reinforcing steel. Sufficient amount of direct current (DC) is applied to oppose the natural low of corrosion current using an extemal power supply (cectfier). The protection current is distributed to the reinforcing steel by an anode. The uniformity of ccurent distbution is critical; therefore an_ anode trrangement is one of the most important components of CP system, Fig. 2 Impressed Current Cathodie Protection 3. How does ICCP work? When cathodie protection current is applied 10 the reinforcing steel, the steel surface polarizes. When a sufficient amount of cathodic protection current is applied, the potential on the current above the anodic site becomes the same potential as the anodic sie, resulting in elimination ofthe anodie site. This prooess is schematically showin inthe hypothetical polarization diagram (Figure 3) Fig.3 Principle of Cathodie Protection in Polarization Diagram When cathodic protection current (eg. 4 mA) is applied to corroding steel, the corrsion current (I core) Visual examination (eracks, spalling, rust stains, patches) Concrete delamination survey ‘Corrosion potential (halfcell) measurements Electrical continuity tests Concrete cover measurements Chloride ion concentration analysis Depth of carbonation testing Corrosion rate measurements (optional) Petrographic testing (optional) vyvvvvyy 45.1 Chloride fon Concentration Figures 6(@), (0) & (©) show the chloride ion concentration profiles with respect to depth in the concrete for each structural component of Sai Wan Ho ‘West Pier. The corrosion resistance of steel in concrete is due toa protective passive film formed on the steet surface ‘which is) maintained in the highly alkaline ‘environment produced by cement hydration. However ‘when the total chloride ion concentration exceeds the “threshold limit" at the concrete-seel interface, the passive film on the stel is destroyed, and the ste! is ‘no longer protected from corrosion. Once corrosion is initiated, the corrosion rate is a funetion of moisture, ‘oxygen availabilty temperature and its function inthe corrosion cell. The "threshold limit" of total chloride jon concentration to initiate corrosion is generally recognized tobe approximately 0.03 percent in the US and 05 percent in Hong Kong. The chloride concentration is one of the factors in determining the required current densityDeck Soft (Bay E-R23) aa Fig 6(a) Chloride fon profile in deck soffit Pile Cap (Dit) yo ‘coer Doin) pile cap Fig 6(b) Chloride ion profile Beam (cit0.11) ; | | 00m OR eRe Ho Fig. 6 (¢) Chloride ion profile in bear 45.2 Electrical Continuity ‘The electrical interconnection of rebars in concrete will affect the design of the CP system. The reinforcing steel is generally interconnected by wire ties and steel rebar chairs. This usualy’ provides electrical continuity through intimate contact, However, areas of discontinuous steel may occur within a structural member or between members because of corrosion a the contact points. Poor construction practice may also contribute to discontinuity. The electrical continuity of metal inthe pier conerete structural members was tested and verified using a “voltage-drop’ technique. The voltage-drop was measured belween a fixed and moving connection on the various metallic components. By directly contacting two different metallic components in the concrete, the voltage between them was measured Using a voltmeter. Ifthe voltage difference is less than 1.0 mv, the metallic components tested are considered electricelly continuous to each other. Ifthe voltage is 1.0 mV of greater, then the steel is considered discontinuows. Extensive electrical continuity test were conducted within the structural component and between other ‘components. The results indicated that many of the ‘components were not electrically continuous with each other. To establish the continuity among. the components, elecrical bonding was incorporated between adjacent components during the concrete repair stage 453 Concrete Cover ‘Tables 1 summarizes the results of concrete cover ‘measured over the rebar for various structural ‘members of Sai Wan Ho East Pier. _ Structure | Average | Standord | aye | in Component_| (um)_| Deviation | M** | Mi | Deck Softit nsitustad) | 57° | MO | 8 Deck Soffit (Casin-place) |_**! ee | ona Beams e236 Tia |36 Pile Caps [81.7 [21.2 160 [52 ‘Table I Concreie Cover Survey for Sai Wan Ho Fast. Pier ‘The conerete cover on the deck soffit for the inst slabs of the Sai Wan Ho East Pier varies more than those for the pre-cast slab. The cover data can be used to determine whether certain ypes of anode can be installed, For instance the above data indicates that in ‘general the conerete cover is large enough for a slotted cathodic protection system, ‘The average concrete cover forthe beams is similar to the deck soffit, however, @ few readings indicate shallow conerete cover. The data indicates that the pile caps have adequate concrete cover for both slotted and discrete anode systems, 46 CP system Design ‘When a eathodie protection (CP) system is considered for rehabilitation, the condition survey may be extended to include additional tests for evaluating design parameters and the type of system to be employed. The following tests are usually conducted for a CP system design survey’ Visual inspection Electrical continuity testing Concrete cover measurements Corrosion potential measurements (For reference electrode locations) Concrete delamination testing (structural) vvvy v> Chloride fon concentration analysis at rebar depth (optional) > Cathodic protection current istribution/current requirement testing (optional) Electrical resistivity measurements for patch repair materials v Prior to starting a condition survey, the following information should be obtained from the structure's “as-built” drawings and previous inspection reports, if available: Year of construction Environmental exposure condition Reinforcing stee! details (Le., size, position and spacing of bars) Type(s) of concrete components (precast, prestressed, cast insitu, ee.) Repair and maintenance history Presence of protective systems, ifany Power source vovyy vy When all this information is obtained and analyzed, the design and selection of the CP system can be more costeffective and practically installed onsite 4.7 Experience in Design of Cathodic Protection ‘System Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) of reinforeed concrete is considered to be an appropriate ‘method of protecting the steel reinforcement from chloride attack, however, the ICP corrosion protection method is not extensively used in Hong Kong. Thus local knowledge has been limited and expertise has often had to be imported from overseas, Alhough CP technology has been developed for over 530 years and international codes and standards have been developed for design and its application, it has not often been a choice which has been favoured by the clients. One of the reason is that the success of the system is greatly dependant on the experience and technical skill in being able to design a cost-effective and durable system. Recently, the Hong Kong govemment has been adopting’ this corrosion protection technology 10 provide long-term cost-effective solutions for their ‘maintenance strategy for ferry piers. Specialists from overseas have been commissioned for the design of ICP systems for five ferry piers, 48 Quality Control in installation Due to the lack of experience of the local contractor forthe installation itis necessary to establish a quality control system to ensure the work has been done in accordance with the design requirements. Normally, an experienced CP specialist contractor is. recommended, There are a series of inspection and testing procedures required during installation: + Electrical continuity test + Installation of reference electrodes, electrode srounds and system grounds Layout of anode locations Concrete cover survey for possible electrical shor circuit ‘© Anode installation Testing eletrcal short ereuit for anode system Installation of electrical connection, conduit and junction box Spot welding AC and DC wiring Installation of tansformer-retifier(1/R) unit Energization and polarization testing 1 is always difficult to tell whether the system has been correctly design and installed until the system is energized. An evenly distributed current from the anode through the conercte is critical to the system. Also adequate current capacity is required to provide ‘an appropriate current density to protect the steel in al 49° Inspection and Future Maintenance ‘The CP System needs to be designed and installed 10 ‘operate with the minimum maintenance. The purpose ofthe system is to eliminate future costly maintenance associated with patching of the concrete due to corrosion of the reinforcing stee! caused by chloride salts. Since this is an “impressed current cathodic protection system,” the transformer rectifier T/R. must remain active a ll times forthe reinforcing stecl to be protected from corrosion, Periodic inspection is required by an inspector following the instruction of the O & M Manual and 10 record the voltage and current measurements of each circuit, Annual visual inspection has to be carried out ‘on the condition of all electrical items such as conduit, jjunetion boxes, anode system (any visual sign of deterioration) and the wire connections at the transformer rectifier terminals, ‘The most important consideration with the cathodic protection isto make sure that current is. being Supplied tothe anode system within the recommended design limits. A simple checklist of items in the form ‘of a trouble “shooting procedure is all that is required for routine maintenance. 5. Conclusion Deterioration of marine concrete structures dus to conmsion of reinforcing steel is a matter of time. Marine structures in Hong Kong approaching an age ‘of 15 years are likely to be deteriorating from seawater attack and possibly severe corrosion of reinforcement ‘The waditional conerete patch repair method is not adequate to prevent long term deterioration and hence cathodic protection of reinforced concrete is beingused as a more appropriate method. The advantage of cathodic protectin iso stop reinforcement corrosion regardless. of the chloride contamination level in concrete and hence to restore the integrity of the strueture and reduce the maintenance cost of repeated patch repairs. ‘A number ofreinforeed concrete piers of over 15 years have recently been successfully installed with cathodic protection system. However, there are a number of ‘considerations to be taken in determining the suitability of ICCP, Every structure is different and should be considered separatly in the design view point, It is clear that preater attention is now being sgvento ths technique than in the past. Acknowledgment ‘The authors wish to express ther thanks tothe Director of Civil Engincering and Development Department, the Government of HKSAR, China, for permission to publish this paper. References Conerete Society Technical Report No.36 Cathodic Protection of Reinforced Concrete Conerete Society Technical Report No.37. Model Specification for Cathodic Protection of Reinforced Concrete BS EN12696 : 2000 Cathodic protection of steel conerete|