Preserving History: Corrosion Management in Bell Tower of Valls Church, Spain

Corrosion of embedded steel in historic masonry structures is often hidden and becomes apparent only at advanced stages, posing significant safety and durability risks. This article presents a case from the bell tower of Valls Sant Joan Church in Spain, where deterioration was driven by atmospheric exposure, macrocell corrosion at repair interfaces, and galvanic interaction between stainless and carbon steel components. A galvanic cathodic protection (CP) system was implemented to address corrosion. Post-monitoring results confirmed effective CP. The results demonstrate that CP can be successfully applied to heritage structures, not only to mitigate corrosion but also to manage it, providing a durable, minimally invasive solution.