The most common damage in concrete structures is not due to chemical attack on the concrete itself, but on the steel that makes up the reinforcement. The concrete provides the steel with sufficient alkalinity to prevent corrosion, but the presence of oxygen as well as chlorides in the pore water of the concrete can cause corrosion of the reinforcement.
Corrosion in reinforced concrete structures can grow rapidly and cause severe structural damage. It is an inevitable process in any reinforced concrete structure but certain conditions can accelerate its occurrence. The main cause is poor concrete quality, as excessive porosity, either due to its composition or its preparation on site, greatly facilitates the steel corrosion process. Another important cause is insufficient coating of the reinforcement. In addition, damp environments also contribute to the rapid onset of corrosion.
Corrosion is a pathology that constantly endangers the integrity of the structure and therefore requires constant and costly repairs. Visual inspections detect corrosion when it appears on the surface of the structure, but at that point the process is already advanced. Therefore, a tool is needed to detect corrosion from inside the reinforcement so that decisions can be made before the process progresses.
Corrochip is a tool capable of detecting and assessing corrosion processes in reinforced concrete as soon as they start and also remotely monitors the condition of the structure over time. This innovative system from Witeklab, which can be integrated into both new and existing structures, uses sensors embedded in the structure that evaluate the state of the reinforcement, send and process data in the cloud and provide various parameters of interest, including a very accurate estimate of the corrosion rate, all in real time and ready to be consulted remotely from any device, saving unnecessary travel and on-site interventions and allowing the anticipation of deterioration situations that compromise structural integrity.