ABSTRACT
The chapter covers the corrosion of materials and their failure by degradation in service. It opens with the corrosion of metals, and an explanation of various ways in which metals can be protected against corrosion. It explains about the corrosion of ceramics and focuses on the chemical attack of concrete, a very important subject in view of the huge amount of concrete used in construction. The mechanisms of degradation in polymers, timber and clay brickwork masonry are also dealt. Concrete is made from Portland cement, and water, together with any additives that may be necessary to give the properties required. The main forms of chemical attack in concrete are leaching, carbonation, chloride attack and sulphate attack. Carbonation is only a problem for steel-reinforced concrete, not plain concrete. Sulphate attack is a very serious matter, whether or not the concrete is steel-reinforced. Engineering bricks possess much higher strengths and so for strength and durability, they should always be used.
