Method for inhibiting corrosion of internal structural members of reinforced concrete

A method for inhibiting corrosion of reinforcing members in a paved concrete driving structure having a driving surface due to salt migration into the structure comprising:

• providing a substantially dry driving surface of the structure;
• contacting the substantially dry driving surface with an effective amount of an organo silane compound to provide an organo silane covered driving surface, the silane having the general formula:
• R-Si-(OR.sub.1).sub.3, wherein:
• R is an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, a cycloalkenyl group, an aralkyl group, or an aralkenyl group;
• and
• R.sub.1 is an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl group, or an alkoxyalkyl group;
• and
• permitting organo silane compound to migrate into the structure;
• and
• reacting the organo silane in the structure with an effective amount of water to hydrolyze the organo silane in the structure and form a salt resisting barrier internally within the structure.

A method for inhibiting corrosion of steel reinforcing members of a concrete bridge deck having a paved concrete driving surface comprising:

• providing a substantially dry driving surface of the bridge deck;
• contacting the substantially dry driving surface of the bridge deck with an effective amount of an organo silane compound to substantially cover the concrete driving surface with the organo silane compound, the silane having the general formula:
• R-Si-(OR.sub.1).sub.3, wherein:
• R is an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, a cycloalkenyl group, an aralkyl group, or an aralkenyl group;
• R.sub.1 is an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl group, or an alkoxyalkyl group;
• permitting organo silane compound to migrate into the bridge deck to form an organo silane impregnated bridge deck;
• and
• reacting the organo silane in the bridge deck with an effective amount of water to hydrolyze the organo silane compound in the bridge deck and form a salt resisting barrier internally within concrete bridge deck.