Corrosion and Degradation of Building Materials

Code

Course teacher

Associate teachers

Status of the course

Course objectives

Qualifying students to apply the knowledge about the processes of deterioration and corrosion in the resistance and durability assessment of technically important inorganic non-metallic building materials under natural conditions of their application, with special emphasis on techno-economic and environmental aspects.

Course enrolment requirements and entry competences required for the course

Inorganic processes in heterogeneous systems

Learning outcomes expected at the level of the course (4 to 10 learning outcomes)

After passing the exam, students will be able to:
1. Distinguish the mechanism of corrosion and non-metals.
2. Categorize types of chemical corrosion of concrete, mortar and cement composites as a result of the interaction of concrete (mortar, cement composite) and aggressive environment.
3. Explain the model of the chemical action of sea water on concrete or reinforced concrete.
4. Assess the impact of atmospheric corrosion and deterioration of technical and decorative stone including historic and cultural heritage monuments.
5. Anticipate the consequences of alkali-aggregate reaction.
6. Assess the impact of pozzolanic additives and other additives (finely ground limestone) on the prevention of corrosion and improve the durability of concrete, mortar and cement composites.
7. Explain the process of deterioration/corrosion of technical glass surface by weathering.
8. Apply methods to examine the impact of an aggressive environment on the durability of construction structures.
9. Evaluate and propose protection measures in order to improve the durability of selected building materials.

Course content broken down in detail by weekly class schedule (syllabus)

1st week: Economic and ecological significance of environmental effects on construction. Basic theory of the corrosion processes with special emphasis on the effects of the environment on building materials. Destructive phenomena in corrosion of metals and non-metals.
2nd week: Technical important non-metallic inorganic building materials. Relationship between structure and properties of materials in assessing their resistance and durability under natural conditions of their use.
3rd week: The factors affecting the degradation of structures of concrete, mortar and cement composites. Types and mechanisms of chemical corrosion depending on the aggressive environment.
4nd week: Chemical corrosion in soil, seawater and process industry. Selected examples of chemical corrosion of concrete and reinforced concrete structures. Sulphate corrosion, products and consequences of concrete corrosion.
5th week: Influence of types of cement, sulphate concentrations, types of cations bonded to the sulfate ion, temperature and exposure time on the rate of corrosion of concrete. Pozzolanic materials.
6th week: Types of concrete. Concrete with recycled materials. Concrete and sustainability. Life cycle analysis.
7th week: Self-cleaning concrete. Translucent concrete. Geopolymers. New composite materials with high corrosion resistance and durability.
8th week: Rocks. Definition. Division. The structure of the stone and the application. The written knowledge tests (I Colloquium).
9th week: The factors affecting the degradation of the structure of technical and decorative stone. Types and mechanisms of chemical corrosion depending on the aggressive environment. Alkali-silica reaction. Causes and consequences.
10th week: Chemistry of the formation of ”black crust” on the rock carbonate origin (limestone, marble) and deterioration of rock by weathering (H2O, SO2, CO2, soot). Mediterranean patinas on historical and cultural heritage monuments. Hypothesis of their origin.
11th week: Test methods. Protection measures in practice.
Week 12: Glass. Definition. Composition of technical glass. Holders of the structure and types of technical glass.
13th week: The kinetics and mechanism of deterioration/corrosion of the glass surface by weathering. Hydration and hydrolysis of the Na-silicate glass.
14th week: Hydrolytic resistance of glass. Test methods. Protection measures.
15th week: The written knowledge tests (II Colloquium).
EXERCISES:
1. Determination of corrosion resistance of the Portland cement mortars (with and without pozzolanic additions) to sulphate attack of Na2SO4 and MgSO4 solutions by measurements the mechanical strength (compressive and flexural), modulus of elasticity, changes of volume due to swelling, and by quantification of unleached calcium hydroxide.
2. Determination of calcium hydroxide in hydrated Portland cement mortars (with and without pozzolanic additions) by thermal analysis (DTA -TG/DTG).
3. Testing effect of acid on different types of rocks. Testing of alkali-aggregate reaction.
4. Characterization of the Mediterranean patinas on the rock carbonate origin, including historic and cultural heritage monuments, by FTIR method.
5. Determination of hydraulic resistance of technical glass.
6. Visual observation of objects on the ground, and field trials.

Format of instruction:

Student responsibilities

Implementation and analysis of selected processes according to preset conditions.
Each student is required to do the entire exercises planned program and field work (100%). On completion of all exercises the final written exam is obligated.

Optional literature (at the time of submission of study programme proposal)

J. Zelić, Engineering of Selected Inorganic Materials/Inženjerstvo odabranih anorganskih materijala (na engleskom jeziku), Sveučilišni udžbenik, Sveučilište u Splitu u Splitu, Split, 2014. , u postupku recenzije.
J. Zelić, Engineering of Selected Inorganic Materials/Inženjerstvo odabranih anorganskih materijala (na engleskom jeziku), Kemijsko-tehnološki fakultet u Splitu, Split, 2013. (recenzirani i objavljeni nastavni materijali), http:// www.ktf-split.hr/bib/nm/Inzenjerstvo_odabranih_anorganskih_materijala_en.pdf
R. A. McCauley, Corrosion of Ceramic and Composite Materials, 2nd Ed., CRC Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8247-5366-6.
C. Saiz-Jimenez (Ed.), Air pollution and Cultural Heritage, Taylor & Francis Group, London, 2004, ISBN 90 5809 682 3.

Quality assurance methods that ensure the acquisition of exit competences

Quality assurance will be performed at three levels:
(1) University Level;
(2) Faculty Level by Quality Control Committee;
(3) Lecturer’s Level.

Other (as the proposer wishes to add)