Method of installing a cathodic protection system for a steel-reinforced concrete structure
AssigneeEltech Systems Corporation
InventorsJohn E. Bennett, Gerald R. Pohto, Thomas A. Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of installing a coated valve metal electrode as impressed-current anode in a cathodic protection system for a steel-reinforced concrete structure comprises providing a roll of coated valve metal mesh, unrolling the mesh and installing it in conformity with the structure, fixing the mesh to the structure and embedding the mesh in an ion-conductive overlay. The mesh is a highly expanded valve metal sheet providing multiple current paths and therefore enhanced redundancy. Current distributor strips can be welded to the mesh after unrolling.
Claims16
A method of installing a coated valve metal electrode as impressed-current anode in a cathodic protection system for a steel-reinforced concrete structure, comprising:
- laying at least one valve metal elongate current distributor member onto the surface of the concrete of said structure and in conformity thereto;
- providing a roll of a flexible sheet of valve metal mesh consisting of a network of valve metal strands connected at a mltiplicity of nodes providing a redundancy of current-carrying paths through the mesh which ensures effective current distribution throughout the mesh even in the event of possible breakage of a number of individual strands, the surface of the rolled valve metal mesh carrying an electrochemically active coating;
- unrolling the coated valve metal mesh roll onto said current distributor member and thereby into conformity with the concrete structure to be protected;
- firmly fixing the unrolled mesh to said current distributor member;
- fixing the valve metal mesh to the concrete of said structure;
- and
- embedding the fixed valve metal mesh, with current distributor member bonded thereto, in an ion-conductive overlay.
The method of claim I, wherein the valve metal mesh consists of a sheet of expanded valve metal expanded by a factor of from 15:1 to 30:1 to provide a pattern of substantially diamond shaped voids and a continuous network of valve metal strands interconnected by between about 500 to 2000 nodes per square meter of the mesh.
A method of installing a coated valve metal electrode as impressed-current anode in a cathodic protection system for a steel-reinforced concrete structure, comprising:
- providing at least one valve metal elongate current distributor member;
- providing a roll of a flexible sheet of valve metal mesh consisting of a network of valve metal strands connected at a multiplicity of nodes providing a redundancy of current-carrying paths through the mesh which ensures effective current distribution throughout the mesh even in the event of possible breakage of a number of individual strands, the surface of the rolled valve metal mesh carrying an electrochemically active coating;
- placing the coated valve metal mesh roll, in unrolled form over the concrete structure to be protected;
- placing the current distributor member over the concrete structure to be protected in a step separate from the step of placing the mesh;
- in a step separate from the step of placing the mesh;
- firmly fixing the unrolled mesh to said current distributor member;
- fixing the valve metal mesh to the concrete of said structure;
- and
- embedding the fixed valve metal mesh, with current distributor member bonded thereto, in an ion-conductive overlay.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.