Estimation of Corrosion Current Density Considering the Uncertainty of the Model Parameters

Abstract This article presents problems related to the diagnosis of reinforced concrete structures exposed to reinforcement corrosion. Based on the analysis of inverse problems, the possibility of using the effects of structural deformation to estimate the basic corrosion parameter, i.e., the corrosion current density, is demonstrated. The main goal of the paper was to demonstrate the feasibility of applying the Monte Carlo method, which considers the uncertainty of model parameters, to estimate corrosion current based on structural deformation. This is a new, previously unpublished element of the proposed model. The presented approach provides an auxiliary problem in the corrosion diagnosis of reinforced concrete structures, which includes corrosion processes subject to high uncertainty. The obtained results confirm the validity of the model assumptions and the need to use methods that account for a 5–20% scatter in individual uncertain parameters. The results were verified based on actual results of corrosion current measurements under laboratory conditions performed as part of another research project. The paper concludes with a summary indicating directions for further development of the proposed methodology.