Electrode structure for protection of structural bodies
AssigneeSika Technology AG
InventorGraeme Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electrolytic protection of steel-reinforced concrete bodies such as bridges and building facades is achieved with carbon material inserted into the concrete body. The carbon material is connected to act as a anode with the steel reinforcement as a cathode, so that corrosive chloride ions migrate away from the steel reinforcement. The carbon material is inserted so as also to act as a reinforcement. In one arrangement carbon textile material is provided between inner and outer grout-filled plastics ducts fixed around post-tensioned steel cables. In another arrangement a carbon rod, or pin, is fixed between a concrete body and a steel I-beam.
Claims17
An electrode device for electrolytic protection of a structural body that includes a concrete body and a main reinforcing steelwork embedded within the concrete body and acting as a cathode, the electrode device comprising:
- a conductive polymeric binding material;
- and
- a secondary reinforcing carbon material, embedded at least in part within the concrete body and embedded at least in part within the binding material configured to provide structural reinforcement to the structural body, and positioned proximate to the main reinforcing steelwork and acting as an anode, wherein
- the carbon material is connected to a positive terminal of a DC power supply and the main reinforcing steelwork is connected to a negative terminal of the power supply, and
- the main reinforcing steelwork and the secondary reinforcing carbon material are thereby configured to provide structural reinforcement and electrolytic protection of the structural body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.