ASTM Develops New Rebar Corrosion Protection Standard

ASTM International (West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, USA) recently announced that it is working to release a new standard that supports corrosion protection for rebar galvanized by zinc or zinc-alloy coatings.

According to ASTM, the new standard—A1094/A1094M, Specification for Continuous Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement—provides a high-performance, low-cost option for building and protecting concrete structures.

According to ASTM member Gary Dallin, the unique fabrication properties of the bars covered by the standard not only provides protection, but also minimizes installation and long-term maintenance costs.

“Galvanizing is a proven and effective way to protect reinforcing bar from corrosion, as it provides both barrier and galvanic protection to the steel substrate,” says Dallin, who is also director of the GalvInfo Center, a program of the International Zinc Association. “It also increases the chloride threshold of the reinforcing bar.”

Dallin says that the new standard will be useful to several entities, including the following: state and federal specifying bodies for bridge and road infrastructure; engineering and contracting firms; producers of precast concrete products; manufacturers that will use the standard to confirm that product parameters meet the specification; and laboratories that will use it for product testing requirements.

“According to the World Corrosion Organization, the worldwide cost of corrosion is currently in the same order of magnitude as the cost to produce and distribute food worldwide,” adds Dallin. “This standard will make a positive impact in reducing these huge costs while improving the sustainability of global infrastructure.”

Source: ASTM International, www.astm.org.