PERFORMANCE OF EPOXY-COATED REINFORCING STEEL

The relatively rapid deterioration of concrete bridge decks in the U.S. as a result of the extensive use of deicing salts provided the background for the development of new methods of corrosion protection of reinforcing steel in concrete. In the 1970s, the U.S. National Bureau of Standards conducted research on the utility of various organic coatings for reinforcement protection. Four epoxy powders, recommended for future evaulation, demonstrated the best corrosion-resistance performance, good concrete to coated bar bond strength, creep properties, and coating flexibility. This article describes the results of a preliminary field investigation of the corrosion-protection performance of epoxy-coated reinforcement materials conducted in the state of Virginia in 1996. The evaluation included the bridge decks of 3 structures in a deicing salt environment and the piles of 3 other structures in a marine environment. The significance of this research, results, and conclusions are provided.