REINFORCED-CONCRETE RESISTIVITY MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES

Half-cell potential mapping techniques have been used successfully to indicate regions where steel reinforcement is corroding unseen beneath the surface of concrete structures. It has been proposed that a mapping of the electrical resistivity of the concrete can be used in conjunction with the potential method to assess the severity of the corrosion problem in addition to the location of corroding regions. In this Paper, some of the advantages and drawbacks are discussed, with different methods of making measurements in situ. Practical tests and theoretical studies were conducted to assess the accuracy and reliability of different methods of measurement. The influence of both the ambient environment conditions and the specimen configuration on the resistivity measurement were also investigated. Practical guidance is given to engineers in resistivity measurement techniques and in the interpretation of results.