Evaluation of corrosion activity in FRP repaired RC beams

This paper presents the results of an experimental study to evaluate the corrosion activity in reinforced concrete beams repaired with fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets. Ten beam specimens (152 x 254 x 3200 mm) were constructed. One specimen was neither strengthened nor corroded to serve as a reference. Three specimens were corroded and not repaired. The remaining six beams were corroded and repaired with FRP sheets. The FRP sheets were applied after the main reinforcing bars were corroded to a 5.5% mass loss. Following the FRP repair, some specimens were subjected to further corrosion to investigate their post-repair performance. The corrosion activity was evaluated using non-destructive and destructive techniques. The non-destructive techniques included half-cell potential measurements. The destructive techniques included evaluation of the mass loss of the main reinforcing bars. The experimental results showed that the corrosion potential decreased with the progress of corrosion, and the FRP repair caused a higher rate of decrease in the corrosion potential with time than that observed when FRP was not provided. Results showed that mass loss of the main reinforcing bars due to corrosion was reduced by up to 16% because of FRP repair. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.