Advance Chemistry Weekly Assignment

Corrosion Problem in Construction Project

Muhammad Fauzan
1506789146

Civil Engineering Department

International Program

Universitas Indonesia
2016

Corrosion Problem on Steel that used as

Reinforced Frame on Concrete
Steel is one of the most important materials that used in
construction field, the most common use of steel is to make
reinforced concrete where the steel is used as reinforced frame
inside the concrete. Normally, steel will not be affected by the
corrosion because there are several chemical reaction between
the concrete and the steel. Since the concrete has a high pH
( above 12 ) which mean it has base characteristic, the
concrete will react with the steel and produce a passive layer
that will protect the steel from corrosion.
On several case, the corrosion of the steel inside the concrete
still happen, this phenomena happen because of several factors
1. Carbonation process.
This process happen when the concrete interact with CO 2
gasses in open air. When the concrete react with the CO 2
gasses, it will cause the reduction of pH of the concrete
that will weaken the passive layer that protected the steel
from corrosion.
2. Chloride.

Chloride ion can penetrate into reinforced concrete, react

with the steel and destroy the passive layer. Chloride ions
sometimes produced by the steel itself or can be from the
environment that surrounded the concrete.
3. Magnesium salt
This phenomenon usually happened to Hydrates Portland
Cement, magnesium ion will react with the cement that
will make the cement soften. When the cement is soft, the
water and other substance that causing corrosion will
react with the steel easily and causing the corrosion of
steel.
4. Sulphate attack
Sulphate attack is one of the most dangerous phenomena
that affect the construction project. Sulphate ion will react
with the hydrates from the cement, this reaction will make
the concrete becoming brittle and also destroying the
passive layer that protect the steel from corrosion.
The corrosion of the steel that used as reinforced frame of
concrete will have several negative effects to the construction.
Firstly, this corrosion problem will make the construction
weaker, because the strength of the steel is decreasing and this
phenomenon also produce several cracks on the concrete
which mean it will decrease the durability of the buildings. Not

only affecting the durability of the buildings, but also causing

the safety problem of the building because of decreasing
strength of the building. Since this phenomenon usually
produced cracks on the buildings, it will also decrease the
beauty of the building itself. This problem will also causing
financial problem because it will cost a lot to repair the damage
that cause by the corrosion.
There are several solutions to prevent this corrosion problem.
We can reduce the permeability character of the concrete by
several methods.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Thicken the concrete layer

Coat the concrete by using coating materials like epoxy
Use inhibitor material
Using cathodic protection

References
http://yandhiwijaya-civilengineering.blogspot.co.id/
http://endarsetiawan.blogspot.co.id/2013/04/korosi-pada-bajatulangan-yang.html
http://daftarbahanbangunan.blogspot.co.id/2009/10/perlindung
an-terhadap-korosi-pada-beton.html
http://makeyousmarter.blogspot.co.id/2015/12/korosi-padabaja-tulangan.html