Cathodic protection of concrete structures: A case study of Madeira airport

Reinforced concrete structures located near the coast are particularly prone to corrosion due to the presence of chloride ions in the air surrounding the structures. This article presents a practical case study of the implementation of cathodic protection (CP) to a 4,000 m² area reinforced concrete structure near Madeira International Airport, Portugal. This paper describes the corrosion condition of the columns and arcades, based on a 2018 inspection report by the regional civil engineering laboratory (LREC) and highlights the key aspects of the design, the installation, and the construction works, as well as the first-year monitoring results of the cathodic protection system. These results demonstrate that the application of cathodic protection (CP) is an effective solution for mitigating corrosion and extending the service life of this structure.