Effectiveness of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer as a triple-functional material for sustainable protection of reinforced concrete structures

Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete is one of the major issues in reducing the service life and durability performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) as a triple-functional material in the impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system has been innovatively investigated in this study. An experimental program comprising three kinds of current densities of 0 mA/m 2 , 20 mA/m 2 and 100 mA/m 2 is presented in RC beams. All specimens are under a simulated harsh environment of 3.5% NaCl solution at 50 °C, wet-dry cycle, and sustained loading. The constant current density of 20 mA/m 2 was found to be sufficient for the ICCP system, a higher current density is not needed even without using the conductive epoxy. The experimental results confirmed that CFRP can not only be used as a strengthening material, but also play a coating layer and ICCP anode role for sustainable protection of RC structures against corrosion.