As part of qualifying a prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) pipeline for possible cathodic protection, six sections that were projected from prior eddy current testing to exhibit wire breaks and one for which no breaks were detected were excavated, removed intact, inspected, and dissected. It was disclosed that corrosion had preferentially initiated upon the inner surface of longitudinal shorting straps and spread from these to the prestressing wires. Left unaddressed, the corrosion would eventually lead to pipe rupture. A mechanism for this corrosion is presented, and the findings are discussed within the context of utility and effectiveness of cathodic protection for PCCP.

Subject
Prestressed concrete cylinder pipes, Prestressing wire, Water, Materials, Piping, Cathodic protection, Corrosion initiation, Pipelines, Wiring, Mortar, Corrosion cracking, Pipe sections, Concrete
Keywords:
Prestressed concrete cylinder pipe, corrosion, cathodic protection, longitudinal shorting strap, chlorides, carbonation, prestressing steel wire
© 2002 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2002
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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