Q. Corrosion protection of lifting anchors in precast concrete?
Corrosion of lifting anchors in precast concrete units has to be prevented since the corroded lifting units cause an increase in steel volume leading to spalling of nearby surface concrete. Subsequently steel reinforcement of the precast concrete units can be exposed and this in turns results in the corrosion of steel reinforcement and reduction in the load carrying capacity of precast units. To combat the potential corrosion problem, lifting anchors could be covered with a layer of mortar to hide them from possible external corrosion agents. Otherwise galvanized or stainless steel lifting anchors can be considered in aggressive environment.