This report will be of interest to bridge maintenance engineers, materials engineers, researchers, and others concerned with arresting chloride-induced corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete bridge members. The research was directed at developing a suitable cathodic protection system for steel reinforcement, excluding the top reinforcement in bridge decks and reinforcement below soil or water. Laboratory investigations were conducted to choose a material for use as a secondary anode in the cathodic protection system. Based on these tests, a conductive coating was selected, and a cathodic protection system was applied to an actual bridge pier. Three variations of primary anode placements were also incorporated into the eventual cathodic protection system that was evaluated. Early results show promise.
Abstract