Long term behaviour of materials in a prestressed concrete bridge.

In steel reinforced or prestressed concrete structures corrosion attack is generally impossible due to the high alkalinity of concrete environments (pH12,5). The reason for this protection of the steel is a passive layer on the steel surface which provides adequate corrosion resistance. Under certain environmental conditions the passivity can be destroyed and corrosion attack occurs. In some cases the interaction of constructional faults and environmental conditions leads to failures and costly repair of buildings and structures. This report gives information about the long term behaviour of materials in a prestressed concrete bridge. The results were taken from material probes during demolition of the structure. The main aim of the work was a description of the corrosion behaviour of the prestressing and reinforcing steel of the structure under various environmental conditions. (A)