A PREDICTION MODEL OF STEEL CORROSION IN CONCRETE BASED ON REACTION-DIFFUSION EQUATION

Abstract

 We have developed a method of predicting steel corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures based on the electrochemical approach. The governing equation for the corresponding three-dimensional reaction-diffusion process is endowed with the Neumann boundary conditions involving anodic and cathodic reactions by which oxygen and water are consumed. We demonstrated the capability of the proposed analysis method in predicting the corrosion contents according to environmental conditions. Also, the method is applied for predicting steel corrosion around the joint of a shield tunnel segment and the results are validated in comparison with those of the accelerated test originally devised in this study. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the proposed method enabled us to qualitatively evaluate the effect of reducing the depth of corrosion by applying methods of surface repair and electrolytic protection as countermeasure work against the degradation of RC structures.