Corrosion resistance of steel reinforcements embedded in alkali activated ground granulated SiMn slag mortars

Abstract

The corrosion process of steel reinforcements embedded in alkali activated SiMn slag mortars was investigated. NaOH and waterglass were used as alkali activators of SiMn slag. The steel reinforced mortars were subjected to two aggressive environments: carbonation and chloride ingress. Carbonation progressed quicker for the binder activated with NaOH, decreasing the rate with the concentration. However, during the corrosion of the steels embedded in the mortars, both activators showed a similar behaviour. Mortars prepared with waterglass exhibited higher chloride migration coefficients, which decreased as the activator concentration increased. In a chloride contaminated ambient, steel embedded in mortars prepared with NaOH offered lower corrosion rate levels and it increased with the activator concentration.