Abstract
This paper reports the result of a study aimed at assessing the impact of Calcium-Magnesium Acetate (CMA) solutions on the corrosion of reinforcing steel embedded in concrete. It is part of a larger research to evaluate the efficacy of adopting alternative de-icing chemicals and methods in winter de-icing operations. This part of the study involves the use of half-cell potential and Linear Polarisation Resistance (LPR) techniques to compare the corrosion risk in small-scale reinforced concrete slabs subjected to a ponding regime with distilled water, salt water or CMA solutions over a period of one year. The influence of different de-icers on the corrosion behaviour of the reinforcement are compared. Further work concerning longer term effects is in progress to ascertain the significance of the observed changes on the mechanism of the interaction between CMA solutions and cement paste.