Monitoring of reinforcement corrosion in ferrocement

Abstract

Ferrocement has been increasingly used as a structural material which competes favorably with reinforced concrete and other building materials. The durability of ferrocement depends on several factors including the quality of ferrocement, mesh type, depth of cover over the mesh, the direction and magnitude of applied load(s) and its resistance to corrosion. Corrosion of mesh reinforcement in ferrocement is one of the important aspects which has not received sufficient attention from research workers. This paper presents the results of monitoring the corrosion performance of ferrocement specimens exposed to extremely aggressive conditions (6% NaCl solution at 60°C). Several parameters have been considered in this study, including type and arrangement of mesh reinforcement and depth of mortar cover over the meshes. Four methods were used for corrosion examination of the specimens; visual examination, corrosion potential, corrosion rate and microscopic examination.