24-10-2012, 11:04 AM
Fighting Corrosion
ABSTRACT
Reinforced concrete structures such as bridges, parking decks, and balconies are designed to have a service life of over
50 years. All too often, however, many structures fall short of this goal, requiring expensive repairs and protection work earlier
than anticipated. The corrosion of reinforced steel within the concrete infrastructure is a major cause for this premature
deterioration. Such corrosion is a particularly dangerous problem for the facilities at NASA s Kennedy Space Center. Located
near the Atlantic Ocean in Florida, Kennedy is based in one of the most corrosive-prone areas in the world. In order to protect
its launch support structures, highways, pipelines, and other steel-reinforced concrete structures, Kennedy engineers developed
the Galvanic Liquid Applied Coating System. The system utilizes an inorganic coating material that slows or stops the
corrosion of reinforced steel members inside concrete structures. Early tests determined that the coating meets the criteria of
the National Association of Corrosion Engineers for complete protection of steel rebar embedded in concrete. Testing is being
continued at the Kennedy’s Materials Science Beach Corrosion Test Site.