21.PP.0107: Protocol development for intelligent monitoring of concrete corrosion in marine environments

Project Brief: Despite decades of research, the underlying mechanisms of initiation and propagation of steel reinforcement corrosion and subsequent structural damage in marine environs remain elusive. Corrosion monitoring techniques that enable early detection of corrosion are imperative to reduce the risk of structural disintegration. However, traditional corrosion monitoring techniques are typically expensive and labour intensive. Thus, the development of automated corrosion monitoring techniques based on sensors has gained increasing attention worldwide. While concrete sensors offer considerable advantages over conventional destructive monitoring techniques, the feasibility and durability of the existing devices are debatable. If not correctly designed and installed, embedding sensors might cause small cracks, possibly accelerating the penetration of hazardous chloride ions or moisture. Thus, further studies are required to develop advanced and durable sensors for long-term corrosion monitoring. Despite recent advancements in sensor-based corrosion monitoring, the feasibility of the existing wireless sensors is debatable. Hence, further studies are needed on developing wireless sensors for automated corrosion monitoring of RC structures that deploy long-range communication technology. Moreover, critical corrosion parameters such as time for corrosion initiation and functions of damage propagation are yet to be modelled using machine learning and artificial intelligence-supported tools.