Corrosion of Steel Reinforcement of Concrete Structures in US Coastal Environments: Causes, Assessment, and Repair

In Corrosion of Steel Reinforcement of Concrete Structures in US Coastal Environments: Causes, Assessment, and Repair, you'll learn ...

• The key factors that lead to premature structural deterioration of reinforced concrete in US coastal environments
• Diagnostic tools and methods for assessing corrosion
• How to identify corrosion risks, evaluate existing damage, and apply effective protection and repair techniques
• Corrosion prevention strategies, including quality construction, corrosion-resistant materials, protective surface coatings, and cathodic systems

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 3 PDH

Length: 40 pages

This course provides an in-depth examination of one of the most critical challenges facing infrastructure durability today: the deterioration of reinforced concrete due to steel corrosion. Targeting coastal regions such as Florida, California, and the Gulf states, the course explores the environmental aggressors—salt-laden air, humidity, wet-dry cycles, and marine exposure—that accelerate corrosion processes in these high-risk areas. The course focuses on the causes, assessment, and repair of steel reinforcement corrosion in concrete exposed to US coastal environments.

The course begins with an overview of coastal infrastructure and its susceptibility to chloride ingress, carbonation, and moisture—key factors that lead to premature structural deterioration. It discusses how inadequate design, poor-quality concrete, and subpar construction practices contribute to the early degradation of steel reinforcement. The course also presents diagnostic tools and methods for assessing corrosion, including visual inspections, non-destructive testing (NDT), and destructive techniques such as core sampling and chemical analysis.

You will learn to identify corrosion risks, evaluate existing damage, and apply effective protection and repair techniques such as patch repairs, cathodic protection, electrochemical treatment, and full member replacement. Prevention strategies focus on quality construction, corrosion-resistant materials, protective surface coatings, and cathodic systems. The course also emphasizes the importance of durability design codes, service-life modeling, and life-cycle cost analysis for long-term structural performance.

Corrosion affects the safety, service life, and maintenance cost of vital infrastructure in marine and coastal zones. This course helps engineers mitigate these risks through proactive strategies and real-world applications. The course introduces detailed strategies for preventing corrosion of steel in concrete as well. It supports compliance with durability standards, sustainability goals, and climate-resilient infrastructure. By integrating case studies and real-world failures, the course equips structural and civil engineers with practical knowledge and tools to manage corrosion-related risks. It is ideal for design, inspection, and repair professionals working in harsh US coastal conditions.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• Various causes of corrosion in US coastal RC structures
• Real-world case studies of corrosion damage and repair projects to draw lessons learned and apply best practices.
• Durability design and corrosion prevention in reinforced concrete structures in coastal environments
• The condition of reinforced concrete structures using industry-standard diagnostic tools and non-destructive testing (NDT) methods (e.g., half-cell potential, LPR, chloride profiling).
• Repair methods and how to select the most appropriate one for the application
• How to integrate corrosion prevention and repair into asset management plans, helping extend service life and reduce lifecycle costs of concrete structures.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 25 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.