Use of Electrodeposition for Repair of Concrete with Shrinkage Cracks

Abstract

The electrodeposition method for repair of cracked reinforced concrete is presented here. Electrodeposition means precipitation of material on the surface of an electrode by electrolysis. The ultimate purpose of this study is to apply this technique to land-based reinforced concrete structures. Investigations on mortar specimens with embedded steel were conducted. After cracking the specimens with a specified load, they were immersed in several types of solutions. Then a constant current between the embedded steel in mortar and an electrode in the solution was applied. The deposition pattern on the surface, the crack closure development, and surface coating due to the precipitation of electrodeposits were checked and evaluated. In order to assess the effectiveness of this method to improve the mortar surface, water permeability, pore size distribution, and adhesion strength were measured. The results indicate that electrodeposits formed on the mortar surface are able to close the crack and coat the mortar surface. In addition, the investigations show that the deposition product can improve the microstructure of the mortar surface.