Engineers are using a newly developed carbon-fiber-reinforced geopolymer mortar as a conductor for cathodic protection (CP). The mortar helps to carry an electrical current through the steel frames of structures built before 1960, guarding against corrosion.
“We just take the joints out, put the necessary wiring in, re-tuck the joints with the anode material and refit the joint with heritage mortar. It’s as simple as that,” says Graeme Jones, managing director at C-Probe Systems Ltd., Altrincham, England.