This Americas Program award will support Dr. Alberto A. Sagues, of the University of South Florida-Tampa, in a collaborative research program with Dr. Luis A. Maldonado and Pedro Castro Borges, of the Merida Unit of the Center of Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN- CINVESTAV), Mexico. Their work will investigate the contamination of concrete by chloride ions from seawater in warm environments, and the effect of that contamination on organically-coated reinforcing steel. The information obtained from this cooperative effort will be critical to the successful control of corrosion in tropical marine environments. The proposed interaction will benefit both nations by establishing a common approach toward corrosion detection and control in a shared geographic region. By increasing our understanding of steel corrosion in concrete, this project has the potential to make a significant contribution towards improving the durability of structures.
