Effect of cement composition on corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete.

Results of accelerated corrosion monitoring and exposure site tests show that corrosion of reinforcement in concrete is significantly influenced by the C "SUB 3" A content of the cement. A 9.5% C "SUB 3" A Type I cement, on an average showed 1.73 times better corrosion resistance performance in terms of corrosion initiation time compared to a 2.8% C "SUB 3" A Type V cement. The consistent beneficial effect of the C "SUB 3" A content in cement is shown by the time to initiation of corrosion results on concrete specimens made with four C "SUB 3" A cements of 2, 9, 11 and 14%. The 9, 11 and 14% C "SUB 3" A cements performed respectively 1.75, 1.93 and 2.45 times better than the 2% C "SUB 3" A cement. (A)