ABSTRACT
The corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete structures is one of the primary causes of concern for asset owners worldwide. It has been estimated that the annual cost of the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures in Australia is in the order of $200 million (AUD) annually (Homayouni, 2004). At present many inspections and remediation works are conducted when there is visual evidence of corrosion, such as rust staining and/or cracking/spalling. When signs of corrosion damage are observed a number of techniques are commonly used to assess the condition of the structure and in particular the state of the reinforcing steel. These may include: chloride analysis, carbonation depth evaluation, resistivity testing, cover depth survey, half cell potential mapping and corrosion rate measurements (Concrete Society/Institute of Corrosion, 2004).
