Created on 06.24

How Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Enables Marine Engineering to Withstand 50 Years of Salt Spray Corrosion?

In the field of marine engineering, concrete structures are constantly exposed to harsh environments characterized by high salinity and humidity. Salt spray corrosion stands as the primary threat to their durability. Traditional concrete struggles to meet the service requirements of 50 years or more, but the application of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) offers an innovative solution for the long-term stability of marine engineering projects.​

The main component of salt spray in marine environments is sodium chloride. Chloride ions can penetrate the concrete cover, damage the passive film on the surface of steel bars, and trigger steel corrosion. The expansive force generated by steel corrosion causes concrete to crack and spall, creating a vicious cycle. SFRC significantly improves the performance of ordinary concrete by uniformly incorporating a certain amount of steel fibers. Thanks to the high elastic modulus and tensile strength of steel fibers, the initiation and propagation of micro-cracks within the concrete are effectively inhibited, reducing the pathways for chloride ion penetration and enhancing the concrete's crack resistance. Meanwhile, the addition of steel fibers greatly improves the toughness of the concrete, minimizing the risk of cracking caused by external forces such as structural deformation and wave impact, thus cutting off the corrosion pathways of salt spray at the source.​

In practical applications, SFRC demonstrates remarkable advantages. On one hand, its excellent impermeability and crack resistance can keep chloride ions outside the concrete, prolonging the time before steel bars start to corrode. On the other hand, the overall structure of SFRC is denser, reducing the likelihood of chemical reactions between harmful components in the salt spray and substances inside the concrete. Through the rational design of steel fiber specifications, dosage, and concrete mix proportions, marine engineering structures can achieve higher durability and stability, effectively withstanding salt spray corrosion for 50 years or even longer.​

Moreover, SFRC features convenient construction and low long-term maintenance costs. Compared with traditional protective measures, the use of SFRC eliminates the need for frequent anti-corrosion maintenance, reducing the life cycle cost of the project. With continuous technological advancements, SFRC will have an even broader application prospect in marine engineering projects such as cross-sea bridges, offshore wind turbine foundations, and port terminals, providing reliable durability guarantees for marine infrastructure construction.