This paper deals with theoretical study on suppressive effects of surface finishing materials on corrosion of reinforcing steel in neutralized concrete experimentally confirmed by accelerated corrosion test and outdoor and indoor exposure tests. Theoretical modeling has been made on the progress of corrosion of reinforcing steel in neutralized concrete and the influence of surface finishing materials, by combining unsteady-state diffusion theory with equivalent electric circuit theory of corrosion reaction. It was found that suppressive effects of surface finishing materials on the corrosion of reinforcing steel can be well explained by the time delay in reaching very near the surface of reinforcing steel of vapor and oxygen due to the diffusion-shielding functions of surface finishing materials against vapor and oxygen, and that the progress of corrosion influenced by surface finishing materials generally obeys the power law.
