文档介绍：PARAMETERS INFLUENCING THE CORROSION PROTECTION
SERVICE LIFE OF EPOXY COATED REINFORCING STEEL IN
VIRGINIA BRIDGE DECKS
by
Megan C. Wheeler
Thesis submitted to the faculty of
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science
in
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Committee Members
Richard E. Weyers, Chair
Christine Anderson-Cook
Michael C . Brown
December 9, 2003
Blacksburg, Virginia
Keywords: epoxy coated reinforcing steel (ECR), bridge decks, corrosion, concrete,
glass transition temperature
Copyright 2003, Megan C. Wheeler
PARAMETERS INFLUENCING THE CORROSION PROTECTION
SERVICE LIFE OF EPOXY COATED REINFORCING STEEL IN
VIRGINIA BRIDGE DECKS
Megan C. Wheeler
ABSTRACT
This study is an evaluation of epoxy coated reinforcing steel (ECR) and its ability to
effectively provide corrosion protection in reinforced concrete highway bridge decks. An
analysis was conducted on 10 bridge decks built in the state of Virginia between the years
1981 and 1995.
A total of 141 cores containing either ECR or bare steel were evaluated. A chloride
solution was applied to the surface on a weekly cycle (for a total duration of years)
and a nondestructive electrochemical testing was performed on each core on a monthly
cycle. Cores were also inspected for surface cracks, the thermal properties of the epoxy
coating, and the concrete conditions at bar depth. The concrete was tested for saturation
percentages, diffusion coefficients, and chloride contents, while the epoxy was tested for
its glass transition temperature, moisture content, and amount of surface cracking.
The results indicate that the best predictor for estimating the times to corrosion initiation
and cracking is the amount of chlorides present in the