TALK: Corrosion of steel in concrete and the decarbonization dilemma
April 2 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 in SF1009
Corrosion of steel in concrete and the decarbonization dilemma
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Ueli M. Angst, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Abstract
Corrosion of reinforcing steel is the most common cause of premature degradation of reinforced concrete structures, giving rise to large economic costs and imposing safety risks. Additionally, the construction sector is among the most important contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, the environmental impact is becoming an increasingly important consideration in the design of new and the maintenance of ageing structures. New, environmentally benign cementitious materials are being developed at rapid pace, particularly low-clinker or clinker-free cements. While these innovations offer various benefits, they also raise important questions about ensuring the long-term durability of the structures built with them.
This seminar sheds light on challenges arising from these transitions in reinforced concrete technology, with a particular focus on steel corrosion. The conflict between the prevailing paradigm, deeply ingrained in the minds of scholars and engineers to ensure corrosion-related durability, and achieving climate goals is discussed. Recent scientific advancements related to the corrosion of steel in (carbonated) concrete are presented and opportunities for the development of next-generation predictive models and new concepts to ensure the durability of our built reinforced concrete infrastructure are highlighted.
Author bio
Ueli M. Angst, Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, ORCID 0000-0002-2603-4757
Ueli Angst is an associate professor at ETH Zurich, leading the research group on Durability of Engineering Materials at the Institute for Building Materials. Prof. Angst is committed to provide fundamental insight into corrosion mechanisms and their effects on structural behavior. Additionally, research focuses on developing advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques and sensors for monitoring, alongside innovative inspection methods that leverage robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as strategies for corrosion mitigation. His research group uses experimental and computational methods covering corrosion science, electrochemistry, materials science, porous media and reactive mass transport, and civil engineering. U. Angst is co-founder of the spinoff DuraMon (www.duramon.ch) that offers sensor solutions to monitor the durability and corrosion state of reinforced concrete.