Effect of environmentally friendly materials on steel corrosion resistance of sustainable UHPC in marine environment

This study investigates the resistance of sustainable ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) on steel reinforcement corrosion. For enhancing the sustainability of UHPC, concrete mixes were prepared with ordinary Portland cement main binder, and mixes with moderate to high percentages of blast furnace cement (CEM III), fly ash (FA), and slag cement as partial replacements of the full quantity of the used cement. Linear polarization resistance technique was employed to estimate the electrochemical behavior of the concrete specimens. Results showed that the compressive strength and the resistance of steel to corrosion in marine environments can be enhanced by improving the sustainability of UHPC through incorporation of CEM III, FA, and slag cement. FA replacement of up to 50% with the addition of 15% SF content produced better compressive strength and steel corrosion resistance than slag cement whether with the use of ordinary Portland cement or blast furnace cement as the main binder.