Originally posted by Ken Bondy
I've watched this thread with great interest. In my 50-year career as a structural engineer specializing in the design and construction of concrete
building structures I have never specified cathodic protection, nor seen it used on any building in which I was involved. The primary method for
providing corrosion protection for reinforcing steel in concrete is with adequate concrete cover over the bars. Hardened concrete is very alkaline
(pH 12-13) and steel does not corrode in an alkaline environment. Certain concrete cover distances have been proven to be effective in preventing
steel corrosion in various environments, and they are specified in all model buiding codes. Some structures in extremely corrosive environments,
like bridges in areas where deicing salts are applied, require exceptional corrosion protection, and that's where you see special measures used, like
epoxy-coated reinforcing bars and cathodic protection. But these things are not presently used in building construction, residential or commercial,
and I see no signs that they will be used in the future. |