During these cold winter months, de-icing salts are widely used to keep roads and structures free of ice. What often receives less attention is the detrimental impact of these salts on the lifespan of concrete structures.
Chlorides from de-icing salts penetrate the concrete and break through the passive layer around the reinforcement. Once this protection disappears, reinforcement corrosion begins. The result?
🔹 volume increase of the corroding reinforcement
🔹 cracking and spalling of the concrete
🔹 loss of load-bearing capacity
🔹 high maintenance and repair costs
Because this deterioration often develops invisibly, corrosion monitoring can play a crucial role. By monitoring parameters such as chloride ingress, potential measurements, and corrosion rates, damage can be detected early and targeted interventions can be made.
Once reinforcement corrosion is active, Cathodic Protection (CP) offers a proven and sustainable solution to structurally stop the corrosion process of the reinforcement and significantly extend the lifespan of concrete structures.
For both corrosion monitoring and Cathodic Protection, you can turn to SOLIDURA BV, a specialist in sustainable solutions for the protection and management of concrete infrastructure.
