Electrical Resistivity in Concrete Durability Assessment
Summary
Electrical resistivity has emerged as a critical non-destructive indicator of concrete durability, reflecting the ease with which ionic currents traverse the pore network of cementitious materials. High resistivity values generally signify a dense microstructure with low permeability, limiting ingress of deleterious agents such as chlorides and moisture that catalyse steel reinforcement corrosion. Measurement approaches span surface and bulk resistivity tests, as well as impedance spectroscopy, and can be applied in laboratory and field settings. By correlating resistivity with factors such as pore connectivity, moisture content, chloride diffusivity and reinforcement corrosion rates, engineers gain a rapid and reliable proxy for service life prediction and maintenance planning. Recent advances have focused on automating data collection, refining measurement protocols to account for temperature and moisture effects, and integrating resistivity monitoring into structural health assessment strategies. This technique enjoys global interest for its cost-effectiveness, repeatability and capacity to guide performance-based specifications in aggressive environments.
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Electrical Resistivity in Concrete Durability Assessment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrical resistivity in concrete durability assessment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Electrical resistivity: Measure of a material’s opposition to ionic current flow, inversely related to its ionic conductivity.
Half-cell potential: Electrochemical measurement of the corrosion tendency of embedded steel, referenced to a stable electrode.
Chloride diffusivity: Rate at which chloride ions migrate through the pore structure, influencing the onset of reinforcement corrosion.
Electrical impedance: Frequency-dependent opposition to alternating current, encompassing resistive and reactive components, used for microstructural characterisation.
Non-destructive testing: Evaluation methods that assess material properties or damage without impairing the structural integrity of the component.
References
- Non-destructive corrosion inspection of reinforced concrete structures using an autonomous flying robot. Automation in Construction (2024).
- Electrical Resistivity and Electrical Impedance Measurement in Mortar and Concrete Elements: A Systematic Review. Applied Sciences (2020).
- Electrical Resistivity Measurements for Nondestructive Evaluation of Chloride-Induced Deterioration of Reinforced Concrete—A Review. Materials (2022).
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