Influence of crack width, cover depth, water–cement ratio and temperature on the formation of electrodeposits on the concrete surface

In this paper, the formation of electrodeposits on the concrete surface based on the electrochemical technique is presented. The aim of electrodeposition in a concrete repair method is to fill the cracks in concrete and to coat the concrete surface by electrodeposits of chemical compounds. Laboratory tests were conducted on cylindrical concrete specimens with embedded reinforcing steel bars. After the specimens were cracked by applying splitting tensile load, the samples were immersed in a zinc sulphate solution and a constant current was applied between the reinforcing steel and the external electrode. Afterwards, the weight change of the specimens, the rate of crack closure and the filling depth of crack were examined and evaluated. The results indicate that the formation of electrodeposits on the concrete surface caused an increase in weight of the specimens and varied depending on the crack width, cover depth of concrete, water–cement ratio and temperature of solution.