ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Concrete structures under aggressive load may suffer chloride induced reinforcement corrosion, in particular with increasing age. Due to high monetary and societal cost (non-availability), replacement is often undesirable. Durable repair is necessary, e.g. by Cathodic Protection (CP). CP involves an electrical current through the concrete to the reinforcement from an external anode. The current causes steel polarisation, electrochemical reactions and ion transport. CP systems are designed from experience, which results in conservative designs and their performance is a matter of wait-and-see. Using numerical models for current and polarisation distribution, CP systems can be designed for critical aspects and made more economical. This paper presents principles and results of preliminary numerical calculations for design of CP systems, applied to protection of local damage in bridges (e.g. at leaking joints).
