Corrosion protection of cables in a concrete structure

A method for use with a steel reinforcing cable embedded in a surrounding covering material comprising concrete or mortar or grout;

• wherein the cable is intimately enclosed in and exterior wires of the cable are engaged by the surrounding covering material;
• wherein the cable comprises an array of wires confined together to form an elongate cable extending along the concrete for providing reinforcement thereto;
• the method comprising:
• exposing the wires of the cable at a first location along the cable;
• introducing a liquid into interstitial spaces between the exposed wires within the cable at the first location along the cable;
• wherein the liquid is different from the surrounding covering material;
• where the insertion occurs directly into the interstitial spaces between the exposed wires;
• causing the liquid to pass along the cable to a second location along the cable;
• and causing the liquid arranged to spread outwardly from the cable to impregnate into the surrounding covering material so as to generate an impregnated zone around the cable.

A method for use with a steel reinforcing cable embedded in a member comprising concrete;

• wherein the cable comprises an array of wires extending along the concrete for providing reinforcement thereto;
• wherein the cable is intimately surrounded by a covering material which is engaged with a periphery of the cable so that there are insufficient interconnected spaces between the cable and the covering material to allow passage of fluid along the cable between the cable and the covering material;
• the method comprising:
• exposing at least part of at least some of the wires of the cable at a first location along the cable where the wires are exposed at a side face of the array spaced from an end of the array;
• inserting a fluid into interstitial spaces between the wires of the cable at said first location at the side face of the array;
• where the insertion occurs directly into the interstitial spaces between the wires at said side face of the array;
• and causing the fluid to pass through the interstitial spaces between the wires of the cable to a second location along the cable.