REAL-TIME MONITORING OF COVERCRETE RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

Currently, the most predominant process associated with deterioration of reinforced concrete structures is corrosion: Since it is the cover-zone concrete which protects the steel from the environment, the ability to study the protective qualities of the covercrete could assist in assessing the current and future performance of the structure. To this end, a multi-electrode array was used to study the surface 50 mm of concrete specimens thereby allowing a detailed picture of the response of the covercrete to the changing environment, both in the short- and long-term. In the current work, CEM I, CEM II/B-V and CEM III/A cements were used and comprised field studies on both 'mini-slabs' and monoliths.