Title:
Rehabilitation of Concrete Cracks by Electrodeposition
Author(s):
Nobuaki Otsuki, Makoto Hisada, Jae-suk Ryu, and Eiji Banshoya
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
21
Issue:
3
Appears on pages(s):
58-63
Keywords:
crack closure; electrodeposition; electrolysis; precipitation; protection; rehabilitation; surface coating
DOI:
Date:
3/1/1999
Abstract:
The electrodeposition method for rehabilitation of cracked reinforced concrete, based on the electrochemical technique, is presented here. Electrodeposition means precipitation of material on the surface of an electrode by electrolysis. The main purpose of this study is to apply this technique to land-based reinforced concrete structures. Investigations on 10 × 10 × 20 cm concrete specimens with embedded steel were conducted in this study. After cracking with a specified load, the specimens were immersed in a solution, then a constant current between the embedded steel in concrete and an electrode in the solution was applied for 4-20 weeks. The weight change of specimens and the development of crack closure and surface coating due to the precipitation of electrodeposits were checked and evaluated. Also in order to assess the effectiveness of this method to improve concrete surface, water permeability, chloride ion penetration depth and carbonation depth were measured. The results indicate that electrodeposits formed on the concrete surface are able to close the concrete crack and to coat the concrete surface. In addition, the investigations show that the formation of electrodeposits offer protection against detrimental materials.