Corrosion Performance of Stainless Steel Reinforcement in the Concrete Prepared with Seawater and Coral Waste and Its Ecological Effects

Durability and ecological effects of the stainless steel reinforced coral waste concrete were compared with those of the carbon steel reinforced ordinary concrete. The results showed that the corrosion current densities of the stainless steel in the coral waste concrete were less than one-tenth of those of the carbon steel in the same grade ordinary concrete. The stainless steel in the seawater coral waste concrete maintained passivation even after more than two years of immersion in 3.5% NaCl solution, while the carbon steel counterparts in the ordinary concrete were seriously corroded under the same condition. Simultaneously, the corrosion current density of the stainless steel reinforcement decreased slightly with the strength grade of the coral waste concrete. The ecological evaluation indicated that the non-renewable energy consumption and CO2 emission of per cubic meter of the newly constructed stainless steel reinforced coral waste concrete were 23.72% and 1.419% less than those of the carbon steel reinforced ordinary concrete with the same grade, while the aforementioned two parameters of the former material were reduced by 44.81% and 32.0% in comparison to the latter one in 50 years duration.