CORROSION OF REINFORCING STEEL AND CHEMICAL PROTECTION STRATEGIES IN MARINE AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW
Keywords:
corrosion; reinforced concrete; inhibitors; chlorides; carbonationAbstract
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/yc.v10i19.1001
Abstract
Corrosion of reinforcing steel is one of the leading causes of premature deterioration in reinforced concrete structures, with an estimated global economic impact of billions of dollars annually. The phenomenon originates from two predominant mechanisms: chloride ion penetration in marine and coastal environments, and carbonation of the cementitious matrix in urban areas exposed to carbon dioxide. Both processes depassivate the embedded steel and trigger an electrochemical oxidation cycle that reduces the resisting cross-section, cracks the concrete cover, and compromises structural integrity. This narrative review aims to synthesize recent scientific evidence on the mechanisms of chloride-induced and carbonation-induced corrosion, and on the main chemical protection strategies available, including corrosion inhibitors (organic, inorganic, migrating, and green) and protective coatings applied to steel. The search was conducted in indexed scientific databases, combining Spanish and English terms, prioritizing studies from the last five to ten years. Results show that nitrite-based inhibitors remain the most effective in chloride-rich environments, while green inhibitors derived from plant extracts emerge as sustainable alternatives with comparable inhibition efficiencies. Epoxy coatings offer high initial resistance but are vulnerable to damage during installation. The discussion highlights research gaps related to the long-term performance of green inhibitors and the scarcity of studies in Latin American contexts. It is concluded that the selection of a protection strategy must be tailored to the predominant depassivation mechanism and to the specific environmental conditions of each structure.
Keywords: corrosion; reinforced concrete; inhibitors; chlorides; carbonation.
Downloads
References
Ahmed, J., & Ganesh, G. M. (2022). A comprehensive overview on corrosion in RCC and its prevention using various green corrosion inhibitors. Buildings, 12(10), 1682. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101682
Amaya, J., & Cornejo Martínez, M. H. (2016). Análisis del costo del ciclo de vida de inhibidores de corrosión para la protección de estructuras de hormigón armado. LACCEI. https://doi.org/10.18687/laccei2016.1.1.235
Asaad, M. A. (2021). Commercial and green corrosion inhibitors for reinforced concrete structures: A review. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/v4-i2-04
Castañeda, A., Corvo, F., & Howland, J. J. (2019). Evaluación de la calidad del hormigón armado antes de construir estructuras sometidas a condiciones de elevada agresividad atmosférica en Cuba. CONPAT 2019. https://doi.org/10.21041/conpat2019/v1cc155
Chugh, B. (2021). Sustainable corrosion inhibitors for concrete. En Materials Research Forum LLC (pp. 130–146). https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644901496-6
Frontera, A., & Cladera, A. (2024). Predicción a largo plazo de la resistencia a cortante de vigas de hormigón armado basada en un modelo mecánico considerando la corrosión de la armadura. Hormigón y Acero, 75(302-303), 79-90. https://doi.org/10.33586/hya.2024.3136
Garcés, P., Climent, M. Á., & Carmona, J. M. (2019). Alargamiento de la vida útil de estructuras de hormigón armado expuestas a ambientes marinos mediante la aplicación de técnicas electroquímicas. CONPAT 2019. https://doi.org/10.21041/conpat2019/v1cc390sp
Guo, R., Zhang, Q., & Wang, Z. (2022). The effect of eco-friendly inhibitors on the corrosion properties of concrete reinforcement in harsh environments. Materials, 15(14), 4746. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15144746
Huazhi, Z., Liu, W., & Hao, Y. (2023). Anti-corrosion study of corrosion inhibitor and sacrificial anode on coastal reinforced concrete structures. IOS Press. https://doi.org/10.3233/atde230775
Jano, A., Lame, A., & Kokalari, E. (2021). Test of inhibitors for preventing corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete. Ovidius University Annals of Chemistry, 32(2), 110-113. https://doi.org/10.2478/auoc-2021-0016
Khudhair, N. A., & Al-Sammarraie, A. M. A. (2019). Enhancing of corrosion protection of steel rebar in concrete using TiO2 nanoparticles as additive. Iraqi Journal of Science, 60(9), 1898-1903. https://doi.org/10.24996/ijs.2019.60.9.2
López-de Abajo, L., Gálvez, J. C., & Alberti, M. G. (2021). Simulación del proceso de carbonatación del hormigón en túneles urbanos. CONPAT/ALCONPAT. https://doi.org/10.4322/conpat2021.691
Meneses, R. S., Moro, J. M., & Aveldaño, R. R. (2016). Influencia del espesor del recubrimiento de elementos de hormigón armado expuestos a procesos de corrosión y sometidos a cargas externas. Revista ALCONPAT, 6(2), 129-144. https://doi.org/10.21041/ra.v6i2.134
Meneses, R. S., Moro, J. M., & Ortega, N. F. (2019). Mejoras en la durabilidad de vigas de hormigón reciclado con tratamiento sometidas a cargas externas. CONPAT 2019. https://doi.org/10.21041/conpat2019/v2pat62
Pico-Cortés, C., & Zega, C. J. (2019). Incidencia del árido reciclado sobre la durabilidad del hormigón armado frente a la corrosión. CONPAT 2019. https://doi.org/10.21041/conpat2019/v3rec385cmp
Seyhan, E., Goodwin, F., & Huang, I.-W. (2019). Corrosion protection of steel reinforcement by using surface applied corrosion inhibitors. MATEC Web of Conferences, 289, 05001. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201928905001
Song, Y., Liu, J., & Wang, H. (2019). Research progress of nitrite corrosion inhibitor in concrete. International Journal of Corrosion, 2019, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/3060869
Tang, F., Cui, H., & Li, G. (2023). Effect of strain levels on the corrosion resistance of an enamel-coated steel rebar. Coatings, 13(3), 510. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13030510
Theiss, A. F., Effting, C., & Schackow, A. (2023). Influence of migrating inhibitor concentration on corrosion resistance of steel reinforcement in concrete. Engenharia Civil UM, 15-29. https://doi.org/10.21814/ecum.4885
Tweek, M. K., & Abdulsada, S. A. (2025). Synergistic effect of inhibitors on corrosion of reinforced concrete structures according to American Concrete Institute standards. Zastita Materijala, 66(1), 22-29. https://doi.org/10.62638/zasmat1105
Voulgari, E., Zacharopoulou, A., & Chousidis, N. (2019a). Corrosion behavior of reinforcement steel embedded in cement mortars using different protection systems. Materials Sciences and Applications, 10(6), 461-474. https://doi.org/10.4236/msa.2019.106034
Voulgari, E., Zacharopoulou, A., & Chousidis, N. (2019b). Effect of organic coating corrosion inhibitor on protection of reinforced mortar. Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, 7(1), 20-34. https://doi.org/10.4236/msce.2019.71003
Wang, J., Wang, Q., & Zhao, Y. (2023). Research progress of macrocell corrosion of steel rebar in concrete. Coatings, 13(5), 853. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13050853
Wang, Q., Wang, Z., & Li, C. (2024). Research progress in corrosion behavior and anti-corrosion methods of steel rebar in concrete. Metals, 14(8), 862. https://doi.org/10.3390/met14080862
Wang, X., Cao, Q., & Tang, F. (2023). Mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of dual-filler-epoxy-coated steel rebar under a corrosive environment. Coatings, 13(3), 604. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13030604
Xu, Q., Liu, B., & Dai, L. (2024). Factors influencing chloride ion diffusion in reinforced concrete structures. Materials, 17(13), 3296. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17133296
Zhang, D., & Liu, G. (2023). Research on the corrosion behavior and cathodic protection of defected-epoxy-coated reinforcement exposed to chloride environment. CIMNE. https://doi.org/10.23967/c.dbmc.2023.042
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2026 REVISTA CIENTÍFICA MULTIDISCIPLINARIA ARBITRADA YACHASUN - ISSN: 2697-3456
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
