The benefits derived from measuring rebar corrosion rates in existing concrete bridge decks as part of condition surveys were examined using data collected from several bridge decks by traditional inspection methods. Rebar corrosion rates correlated reasonably well with metal losses observed in rebar specimens. Further, it appeared that a metal loss of 3 percent to 6 percent by weight may be the threshold metal loss necessary to initiate delamination in reinforced concrete decks. However, because rebar corrosion rates also vary with location in a deck and with temporal fluctuating conditions in the concrete, their use in estimating the remaining service life for concrete decks will be questionable until an appropriate methodology for determining the representative rebar corrosion rate for a deck and relating such to service life has been developed. (Author/publisher)
Abstract