Concrete surface resistivity profiles along the splash zone on bridge piles exposed to sea water

Prevention of the corrosion of steel reinforcement embedded in concrete is a constant challenge in engineering. A study of the surface resistivity of concrete as a function of elevation on partially immersed reinforced concrete structures at the splash zone exposed to marine environments has been developed and correlated with the chloride diffusion as a way to determine the concrete quality (i.e., permeability to aggressive ions). A conditioning procedure was developed in which the concrete moisture content is increased by direct contact with fresh water for several days. The electrical resistivity of concrete is known to primarily be a function of the degree of water saturation. Correlations between field obtained concrete surface resistivity values vs. chloride diffusivity, and between normalized resistivity measured on cores obtained from the field vs. chloride diffusivity has been established. The resistivity values were measured on structures with different concrete mixes and various ages.