Electrochemical treatment of Reinforced Concrete Structures in Australia

Modern repair, protection and strengthening techniques for concrete, timber and steel elements have taken a quantum leap in technology in recent years. This paper describes some of the advanced technology including:

Cathodic Protection – Concrete and Steel Structures

Realkalisation and Desalination – Concrete

Composite Material Strengthening – Concrete, Steel, Masonry and Timber

and their application to our ageing bridge stock.

Electrochemical techniques, including cathodic protection, desalination and realkalisatation have already been used extensively in Australia and this paper overviews these technologies.

 Composite materials, such as carbon fibre and E-glass and Kevlar, have been used successfully in the aeronautical industry and have now been shown to have unique applications in bridge strengthening and repair, ASR and corrosion containment.

 The paper illustrates various case studies and examples of the advantages of these modern techniques.