Cathodic Protection by Means of Sacrificial Anodes of Reinforced Concrete Structures

Abstract

Reinforced concrete is a material widely used in building structures. Its high compression and traction resistance are due to the union of concrete and steel. A crucial aspect of its durability is the state in which the steel is found. In this sense, corrosion plays a very important role. In this work, the behavior of previously corroded rebar protected by a cathodic protection system with sacrificial anodes consisting of zinc sheets externally bonded to the concrete is studied. The analysis was carried out according to the EN-ISO 12696 standard. The results showed the viability of the solution. In this sense, the protection criteria of the standard were met in all the samples analyzed. So that, the results confirm that the system is able to stop corrosion regardless of the level of corrosion of the steel and the chloride ion content in the concrete.