Cristhiana Albert

About Cristhiana Albert

Affiliation
ETH Zurich

Innovandi Project
Core Project 14: Carbonation and corrosion

Background
Civil Engineer with Bachelor’s and M.Sc. from Unisinos University, Brazil, with an exchange in University of Porto, Portugal, and visiting research period at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. I am interested in applying knowledge in corrosion and concrete science to enhance the durability and sustainability of reinforced concrete structures.

Research topic
My research focuses on the corrosion kinetics of steel in carbonated concretes produced with blended cements, uncoupling the effects of the concrete pore solution, pore structure, and moisture. More specifically, I investigate how varying pH levels and key ions (HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻) of the carbonated pore solution influence steel corrosion. This is achieved by employing electrochemical techniques under both equilibrium and dynamic conditions to assess the corrosion kinetics of steel; and characterizing the corrosion products with in-situ Raman Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The concrete pore structure and moisture effects are incorporated by measuring the corrosion rates of steel in carbonated lab-scale mortars and exposure site samples, produced with diverse low-clinker materials and w/b ratios, and exposed to different relative humidities. By combining the findings from pore solutions and mortar studies, my research aims to provide mechanistic understanding of the corrosion process in carbonated reinforced concrete. During my PhD, I have also gained experience in corrosion measurements in reinforced mortar samples under dynamic water ingress, and the characterization of corrosion products using Synchrotron-based techniques, including μXRF, μXRD, μXANES.