Chemical, microbiological, and in situ test methods for biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion of concrete

Biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion is often a problem in sewer environment; it can lead to a fast degradation of the concrete structures. Since the involvement of bacteria in the corrosion process was discovered, considerable microbiological research has been devoted to the understanding of the corrosive process. Mechanical engineers have focused on experiments comparing the resistance of several concrete mixes against biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion. Because of a lack of standardised methods, different test methods have been used, and various parameters have been modified to evaluate the resistance of the materials. The research done on sulfuric acid corrosion of concrete can roughly be divided in three groups: chemical tests, microbial simulation tests, and exposure tests in situ. In this article, an overview of the recent developments in the test methods for biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion and the obtained results are presented. Possible differences between biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion and chemical sulfuric acid corrosion are delineated. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.