Corrosion Protection Of Micropiles-Video

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Video Summary

Raquel’s presentation examined corrosion protection for Type E micropiles, which use hollow steel bars for drilling, grout injection, and load-bearing. Although buried steel corrodes in soil, its exposure differs from sheet piles; factors such as clay, moisture, oxygen, and low soil resistivity affect corrosion risk.<br /><br />She cautioned against relying on sacrificial steel loss, especially at couplers, where corrosion can weaken connections and compromise structural capacity. A case study showed painted, coupled bars severely corroding within a few years. Instead, she advocated grout encapsulation, analogous to concrete cover around reinforcing steel, while emphasizing adequate grout thickness and control of cracking. Tests on tensioned micropiles found mostly very small cracks, around 0.1 mm, with few extending to the grout surface. Additional coatings may be appropriate in aggressive soils. In discussion, she noted that cracking is mainly associated with tension loading and that micropiles are less suited to significant bending.

Keywords

Type E micropiles

corrosion protection

grout encapsulation

steel couplers

soil corrosion