Cathodic Protection of Reinforced Concrete

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), in a bid to reduce the high costs of bridge reconstruction, has applied a system of thermal sprayed zinc anodes and impressed current cathodic protection. This process has been used to protect its Cape Creek Bridge from corrosion and subsequent reconstruction. The bridge is exposed to a coastal environment and is subject to attack by chloride from the salty air. Prior to the cathodic protection project on the bridge, it had suffered substantial concrete spalling on its columns and under-deck as a result of rebar corrosion. By selecting to protect the bridge in this way ODOT saved over $13 million by not having to reconstruct the bridge.