Cathodic protection of steel in reinforced concrete with electroosmotic treatment

A system for the maintenance of a concrete structure reinforced with steel members essentially free from corrosion of the members, the system comprising,

• a mass of concrete wherein the steel members are electrically interconnected;
• an external power source responsive to a programmable control means to which data is transmitted from a sensing means, connected in serial relationship, the programmable control means being responsive to both the external power source and the sensing means;
• means for anodically connecting the external power source of potential to an anode proximately disposed relative to the steel members;
• means for cathodically connecting a first cathode to the external power source which provides sufficient current to establish an electroosmotic flow of ions out of the concrete;
• means for cathodically connecting the steel members to the external power source which is sufficiently electronegative with respect to the measured stable potential to repress the cathodic potential of the steel to within a predetermined range;
• and,
• means for maintaining current from the source of electronegative potential at a potential in the range from about 50 mV to less than 300 mV lower than the corrosion potential at the steel members.