Macrocell corrosion behavior of reinforcement in mortar mixed and cured with seawater

• Main Authors: Boo, John Ralph M., Dela Cruz, Mikaela Grace O., Quilantang, Cesar Brian T., Raymundo, Jose Inigo C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Building materials; Mortar; Cement; Seawater; Civil Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/6451
• Institution: De La Salle University

This paper tackled the idea of using seawater as a possible alternative to fresh water as main components of mortar. Using two different types of cement OPC and rapid set cement as basis to see how steel reinforcement would react to fresh water compared to seawater. Macro cell corrosion is when corrosion occurs to two adjacent steel bars. This study was conducted to analyze whether using seawater is a feasible component to mortar and if it has a big impact to the progrresion of macro cell corrosion on steel bar. It was also an objective of this study to relate the compressive strength of the mortar to the rate of corrosion of the steel bar and analyze how steel and mortar would react to components of seawater. The compressive strength was monitored in a span of 3 months using a zero resistance ammeter. The experimental results showed that seawater accelerated the progress of compressive strength due to presence of calcium chloride thus developing the higher compressive strength on a 28-day period compared to mortar mix and cured with seawater. On the other hand, seawater also accelerated the occurrence of corrosion more so with the presence of cold joint where mortar had more voids where seawater seeped in while being cured. The development of corrosion when seawater was used skyrocketed as seen in the 2-month period.