ABSTRACT

Fifteen years history of an operating cathodic protection system on a chloride contaminated atmospherically exposed conventionally reinforced concrete structure in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia conclusively proves that cathodic protection can significantly reduce the corrosion rate of the steel reinforcement eliminating corrosion and subsequent delamination and damage to the structure.

INTRODUCTION

A bank in Saudi Arabia was designed by a French firm of architects and constructed by an Italian contractor in the mid 1980s. The bank remained unoccupied for approximately four years due to a dispute over payment. Soon after the building was occupied, there was evidence of corrosion and concrete was delaminating in the underground section of the structure. The structure consisted of two underground levels supported by a three meter thick raft slab and exterior walls of approximately one meter thickness. At the site, the soil was sand and coral rock with brackish water approximately one meter below grade.

In the late 1980s, major renovation of the underground structure was undertaken by a Saudi contractor. The structure was failing before repairs were completed and results of a survey by a structural engineering firm specified further repairs with addition of cathodic protection. In 1992 tenders were called for this work.

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