Evaluation of Half-Cell Potential Measurements for Reinforced Concrete Corrosion

The evaluation of half-cell potential measurements in reinforced concrete (RC) members can be a key issue for civil engineers. The primary reason for this is that the interpretation of half-cell potential measurements based on the available standards provides information related only to the possibility of corrosion in concrete, but it does not provide a clear perception of the influence of corrosion on the capacity of the RC members. The objective of this study is two-fold: (1) to explore the influence of corrosion level on the flexural capacity of RC members; and (2) to provide engineers with a better understanding of the correlation between half-cell potential measurements and flexural capacity of RC members. To establish this, twelve RC beams were cast and then exposed to accelerated corrosion utilizing an impressed current. After that, half-cell potential tests were performed on the entire surface of the beams. Next, a four-point loading test was performed on the beams to determine their flexural behavior. The analysis of measurements showed that there is a high positive correlation between the half-cell potential measurements and the flexural capacity of the tested beams which demonstrates the potential of half-cell measurements to predict the capacity degradation level of the RC beams due to corrosion.