Proceq PM8500 User manual

PM8500
Profometer Corrosion
User Manual

25. September 2023 © Copyright 2023, PROCEQ SA 2
Document Information
Document Revision: 1.0
Revision Date: Sep 13, 2023
Document State: Live
Company: Proceq SA
Ringstrasse 2
CH-8603 Schwerzenbach
Switzerland
Classification: Technical Manual
Revision History
Rev
Date
Author, Comments
1.0
Sep 13, 2023
DFH - Initial document

25. September 2023 © Copyright 2023, PROCEQ SA 3
Content
1Introduction ...................................................................................................................6
1.1 Scope of this document ........................................................................................................6
1.2 Product versions ...................................................................................................................7
1.3 Product applications .............................................................................................................7
2Scope of Delivery ..........................................................................................................8
3Measurement Principle .................................................................................................9
3.1 Measuring Principle ..............................................................................................................9
3.1.1 Corrosion and Half Cell Potential....................................................................................9
3.1.2 Typical Potential Range ............................................................................................... 10
3.1.3 Factors affecting the potential measurement .............................................................. 10
3.1.4 Application limits of the potential measurement technique.......................................... 12
4PM8500 Operation .......................................................................................................13
4.1 Preliminary Operations ...................................................................................................... 13
4.1.1 Prepare the electrode(s) .............................................................................................. 13
4.1.2 Selecting the correct grid and marking the surface ..................................................... 13
4.1.3 Choosing the appropriate electrode............................................................................. 14
4.1.4 Connect to the reinforcement ...................................................................................... 14
4.1.5 Sensor Unit overview ................................................................................................... 15
4.1.6 Connecting the electrode cables with the sensor unit ................................................. 16
4.1.7 How to mount the sensor on the harness .................................................................... 18
4.1.8 How to mount the telescopic rod on the one wheel and four-wheel electrode ............ 19
4.1.9 How to replace the foam of the rod electrode.............................................................. 19
4.1.10 How to change the distance between the wheels ....................................................... 20
4.1.11 Coated surfaces........................................................................................................... 21
4.1.12 Pre-moistening............................................................................................................. 21
4.2 Starting a measurement .................................................................................................... 22
4.2.1 Download the Profometer App and Create Eagle Account ......................................... 22
4.2.2 Turning on and off the device ...................................................................................... 24
4.2.3 Connect the sensor unit to the Profometer App .......................................................... 25
4.2.4 Create a new file and start your first measurement..................................................... 25
4.3 Profometer App Overview ................................................................................................. 26
4.3.1 Quick overview............................................................................................................. 26
4.3.2 Tutorial videos.............................................................................................................. 30
4.3.3 Corrosion Display Views .............................................................................................. 30
5Operation and handling ..............................................................................................34
5.1 Performing a Calibration .................................................................................................... 34
5.2 Measurement files visualization & storage ........................................................................ 36
5.2.1 Data storage, reading, sharing & reporting.................................................................. 36
6Maintenance and Support...........................................................................................37
6.1 Maintenance ...................................................................................................................... 37
6.2 Support Concept................................................................................................................ 37
6.3 Standard Warranty and Extended Warranty ..................................................................... 37
6.4 Disposal ............................................................................................................................. 38
7Technical Specifications.............................................................................................
39

25. September 2023 © Copyright 2023, PROCEQ SA 4
Legal Notice
This document contains important information on the safety, use and maintenance of Proceq
products. Read through this document carefully before the first use of the instrument. Observe
the safety and warning notes in this documentation and on the product. This is a prerequisite
for safe working and trouble-free operation.
Symbols used
This icon signals important information, specifications, proper working procedure and
to avoid data loss, damage, or destruction of the instrument.
This note signifies a warning about dangers to life and limb if the apparatus is handled
improperly. Observe these notes and be particularly careful in these cases. Also inform
other users on all safety notes. Besides the notes in this instruction manual the generally
applicable safety instructions and regulations for prevention of accidents must be
observed.
Limitation of use
The instrument is only to be used for its designated purpose as described herein.
Replace faulty components only with original replacement parts from Proceq.
Accessories should only be installed or connected to the instrument if they are
expressly authorized by Proceq. If other accessories are installed or connected to the
instrument, then Proceq will accept no liability and the product guarantee is forfeited.
Liability
Our “General Terms and Conditions of Sales and Delivery” apply in all cases. Warranty and
liability claims arising from personal injury and damage to property cannot be upheld if they
are due to one or more of the following causes:
Failure to use the instrument in accordance with its designated use as described in the
product documentation.
Incorrect performance check for operation and maintenance of the instrument and its
components.
Failure to adhere to the instructions dealing with the performance check, operation and
maintenance of the instrument and its components.
Unauthorised modifications to the instrument and its components.
Serious damage resulting from the effects of foreign bodies, accidents, vandalism, and
force majeure. All information contained in this documentation is presented in good
faith and believed to be correct. Proceq AG makes no warranties and excludes all
liability as to the completeness and/or accuracy of the information.
Safety Instructions
The equipment is not allowed to be operated by children or anyone under the influence of
alcohol, drugs, or pharmaceutical preparations. Anyone who is not familiar with the instrument
must be supervised when using the equipment.
Reserved Rights
The content of this document is intellectual property of Proceq SA and prohibited to be copied
neither in a photomechanical or electronic way, nor in excerpts, saved and/or be passed on to
other persons and institutions. This document can be changed at any time and without any
prenotification or announcement.

25. September 2023 © Copyright 2023, PROCEQ SA 5
Unauthorized modifications and changes of the product are not permitted.
Damages during carriage
On receipt of the goods, check for any visible damages on the packaging. If it is undamaged,
you may sign the receipt of the goods. If you do suspect by visual inspection that damage has
occurred, make a note of the visible damage on the delivery receipt and request the courier to
countersign it. Moreover, the courier service must be held responsible for the damage in
writing.
If a hidden damage is discovered while unpacking, you have to inform and hold the courier
liable immediately in the following way: “When opening the parcel we had to notice that … etc.“
This superficial checking of the goods has to be done within the time limit set by the carrier,
which is normally 7 days. However, the period could vary depending on the courier. Hence, it
is recommended to check the exact time limit when receiving the goods.
If there are any damages also inform your authorized Proceq agent or Proceq SA immediately.
Shipment
Should the device be transported again, it must be packaged properly. Preferably use the
original packaging for later shipments. Additionally, use filling material in the package to protect
the device from any shock during carriage.
Safety notes and hints
All maintenance and repair work which is not explicitly permitted and described in the
present manual shall only be carried out by Proceq SA or your authorized service
center, failure to comply voids warranty.
Proceq SA refuses all warranty and liability claims for damages caused by usage of
the product in combination with non-original accessories, or accessories from 3rd
party suppliers.
Never immerse the device in water or other liquids: Danger of short circuit!
Never leave the product under direct sun exposure. Always store the product in its
carrying case.
For the operation of the product all local safety regulations apply.

25. September 2023 © Copyright 2023, PROCEQ SA 6
1 Introduction
Profometer PM8500 Corrosion is a high-quality instrument used to measure the likelihood of
corrosion using the half-cell potential method.
The product consists of:
the PM8500 high-performance sensor unit,
the electrodes (rod, one wheel and four wheel),
the Profometer iOS app,
and the Screening Eagle Workspace platform.
Figure 1: PM8500 System
The PM8500 sensor can be used in the following configuration:
Wirelessly connected sensor via low power Bluetooth to the iPad, which runs the
Profometer app. Given mobile data connectivity (Wi-Fi or mobile network), the pm app
automatically and safely stores all measurements on the Screening Eagle Workspace.
1.1 Scope of this document
This document is the user manual for all products of the PM8500 Product family.

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Therefore, some pictures or functional descriptions may differ from your model.
1.2 Product versions
To be able to use the functionality of the pm app, a software license is required.
The following licenses are available and offer different functionality:
Profometer PM8500 License
1.3 Product applications
In general, two measurement types can be differentiated:
Spot measurement using the rod electrode,
Area measurement using the one wheel or the four-wheel electrode.

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2 Scope of Delivery
Please refer to the Quick Start Guide, and Quick Reference Guide provided in the standard
delivery and available in download section of the product webpage:

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3 Measurement Principle
3.1 Measuring Principle
3.1.1 Corrosion and Half Cell Potential
Under normal conditions reinforcement steel is protected from corrosion by a thin, passive film
of hydrated iron oxide. This passive film is decomposed due to the reaction of the concrete
with atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), or by the penetration of substances aggressive to
steel, in particular chlorides from de-icing salt or salt water.
At the anode ferrous ions (Fe++) are dissolved and electrons are set free. These electrons drift
through the steel to the cathode, where they form hydroxide (OH-) with the generally available
water and oxygen. This principle creates a potential difference that can be measured by the
half-cell method.
Figure 2: Principle of steel corrosion in concrete with oxygen availability.
The basic idea of the potential field measurement is to measure the potentials at the concrete
surface, to get a characteristic picture of the state of corrosion of the steel surface within the
concrete. For this purpose, a reference electrode is connected via a high-impedance voltmeter
to the steel reinforcement and is moved in a grid over the concrete surface.
The reference electrode of PM8500 system is a Cu/ CuSO4 half-cell. It consists of a copper
rod immersed in a saturated copper sulphate solution, which maintains a constant, known
potential.

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Figure 3: Measuring principle.
3.1.2 Typical Potential Range
Typical orders of magnitude (for information only) for the half-cell potential of steel in concrete
measured against a Cu/CuSO4 reference electrode are in the following range (RILEM TC 154-
EMC):
water saturated concrete without O2
-1000 to -900 mV
moist, chloride contaminated concrete
-600 to -400 mV
moist, chloride free concrete
-200 to +100 mV
moist, carbonated concrete
-400 to +100 mV
dry, carbonated concrete
0 to +200 mV
In general terms the probability of corrosion rises with low (negative) potentials; active
corrosion can be expected at locations where a negative potential is surrounded by
increasingly positive potentials, i.e., locations with a positive potential gradient. Potential
differences of around +100mV within a 1m measurement area, together with negative
potentials can be a clear indication of active corrosion.
The actual potential absolute value (corrosion threshold) below which active corrosion can be
expected may vary significantly on different structures. It is however useful to mention the
thresholds suggested by ASTM C 876-22b, Appendix X1, assigning a 90% probability of
corrosion ongoing to the areas more negative than -350 mV, and a 90% probability of no
corrosion to the areas more positive than -200 mV, judging uncertain the behavior in the
regions in between the two thresholds. Be sure to note the conditions stated by ASTM as to
the applicability of these threshold values.
3.1.3 Factors affecting the potential measurement
Provided that the corrosion conditions are equal (chloride content or carbonation of the
concrete at the steel surface) the main influences upon the half-cell potentials are:

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Moisture
See the chart above for moist, carbonated concrete and dry, carbonated concrete. Moisture
has a large effect on the measured potential leading to more negative values.
Concrete cover thickness (Measure with PM8000 and PM8000 Pro)
The potential that can be measured at the surface becomes more positive with increasing
concrete cover. Variations in the concrete cover can cause deviations in the measurements.
Very low concrete cover can lead to more negative potentials which would seem to indicate
high levels of corrosion. Therefore, it is advisable to make concrete cover measurements along
with the half-cell measurements.
Electrical resistivity of the concrete (Measure with Resipod)
Low electrical resistivity leads to more negative potentials that can be measured on the surface
and the potential gradients become flatter. In this case the measurement grid for potential
measurements may be coarser, as the risk of undetected anodic areas with flatter gradients
becomes lower. However, as the resolution between corroding and passive areas is reduced,
this may lead to an overestimation of the actively corroding surface area.
High electrical resistivity leads to more positive potentials that may be measured on the surface
and potential gradients become steeper. In this case the measuring grid must be made finer,
to be able to locate an anode with a very steep gradient. However, the mere potentials may be
misinterpreted as passive areas when only considering the absolute value of the potential.
Temperature
The main effect of temperature on potential measurements is given by its influence on the
electrical resistivity. High temperature will cause concrete resistivity to be lower and low
temperature will cause concrete resistivity to be higher; the resulting effect on potential value
is as described in the previous paragraph “Electrical resistivity of the concrete”.
In order to measure the potential, there must be a contact between the probe and the
electrolytes in the pore system of the concrete. Therefore, a measurement below the freezing
point is not recommended and can lead to incorrect readings.
Oxygen content at the reinforcement
With decreasing oxygen concentration and increasing pH-value at a steel surface its potential
becomes more negative. In certain cases of concrete components with a high degree of water
saturation, low porosity and/or very high concrete cover and thus low oxygen supply, the
potential at the steel surface may be highly negative even though no active corrosion is taking
place. Without checking the actual corrosion state this may lead to misinterpretation of the
potential data.
The air permeability of the concrete may be tested with Proceq’s Torrent instrument.

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3.1.4 Application limits of the potential measurement technique
The potential field measurement even with a coarse grid delivers good results for chloride
induced corrosion. This type of corrosion is typified by pitting developing into troughs.
Corrosion due to carbonation is typified by the development of smaller macro-elements and is
only possible to determine by using a very fine grid if at all.
Corrosion of pre-stressed steel reinforcement is not possible to detect if it is located within a
protective tube.
The potential field measurement alone offers no quantitative conclusions about the rate of
corrosion. Empirical studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between the
corrosion rate and the electrical resistivity. However, corrosion rate readings are of limited
value as the rebar corrosion rate varies considerably with time. It is more reliable to work with
corrosion readings taken over a period of time.

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4 PM8500 Operation
4.1 Preliminary Operations
4.1.1 Prepare the electrode(s)
Rod Electrode
Before filling, remove the cap with the wooden plug and soak it in water for about an hour to
allow the wood to saturate and swell.
Wheel Electrode
The wooden plug is not intended to be removed. Immerse the wheel in water well before you
intend to use it to allow water to soak into the plug. The felt hoops and the felt hoop connector
should be saturated with water before measuring.
In the wheel electrodes you will find two compartments: one for water, that will slowly leak out
to wet the felt during the measurement. The other one should be filled in with the cupper
solution.
Copper Sulphate (Rod and Wheel)
Prepare the saturated solution by mixing 40 units by weight of copper sulphate with 100 units
by weight of distilled water. To ensure that the solution remains saturated, add an additional
teaspoonful of copper sulphate crystals into the electrode. The electrode should be filled as
completely as possible with a minimum of air in the compartment. This ensures that the solution
is in contact with the wooden plug even when measuring in an upwards direction.
NOTE! When handling copper sulphate be careful to take note of the safety
instructions on the packaging.
4.1.2 Selecting the correct grid and marking the surface
One method is to use a relatively large grid for a first estimate, e.g., 0.50 x 0.50 m up to a max
of 1.0 x 1.0 m. Suspect areas can be further investigated using a finer grid (e.g., 0.15 x 0.15
m), to identify the extent of the surface that will require corrective maintenance.
Vertical elements usually require a smaller grid (e.g., 0.15 x 0.15 m). The same applies to
slender elements, for which the grid will be defined by the geometry, (e.g., steps, beams, and
joints etc.).
For large horizontal surfaces (parking decks, bridge decks etc.) a grid of 0.25 x 0.25 m to 0.5
x 0.5m is typically sufficient.
It is recommended to mark out a grid on the surface corresponding to the grid you wish to use.
For small areas where point measurements will be made with the Rod Electrode this can be
done by using a tape or by drawing the grid on the element.
For large areas such as parking and bridge decks the wheel electrode is preferable. The
integrated path measurement ensures the correct grid in the direction of measurement. To

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ensure the correct grid between parallel measurement paths marks can be drawn on the
surface. Please note the 4-Wheel Electrode ensures a stable parallel grid and requires less
marks to be drawn on the surface.
4.1.3 Choosing the appropriate electrode
Depending on the surface under test, it is necessary to choose which type of electrode will be
employed.
For small areas or areas that are difficult to access, the small and light Rod Electrode will
typically be used.
For more accessible horizontal, vertical, or overhead surfaces, it is much faster to use the 1-
Wheel Electrode.
For large horizontal surfaces, the 4-Wheel Electrode is recommended for the reason of the
significantly faster automatic measurement in a pre-defined grid.
4.1.4 Connect to the reinforcement
The ground cable must be connected to the reinforcement of the surface to be measured. This
is usually done by chiseling or drilling to the reinforcement.
In some cases, it may be possible to use existing building elements that are connected to the
reinforcement (e.g., water pipes, earth points). The connection to the reinforcement should be
made with the least possible resistance. To this end it may be beneficial to grind the
reinforcement (e.g., using an angle grinder) and to connect the cable with welding tongs.
A secure connection can be also obtained by drilling a 25 mm hole into the concrete above the
rebar, then drill a 4 mm hole into the rebar and insert a self-tapping screw with attached lead
into the hole in the steel.
The connection should be tested for continuity. This requires at least one other point of the
reinforcement to be exposed and to check the resistance between the two with an Ohmmeter.
The connections should be situated as far as possible in opposing corner areas of the surface
under test. The measured resistance should not be more than 1 Ω above the resistance of the
cable used.

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4.1.5 Sensor Unit overview
Figure 4 : PM8500 Sensor Unit: Keys Overview
Figure 5 : PM8500 Sensor Unit: LED behavior

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4.1.6 Connecting the electrode cables with the sensor unit
Rod Electrode:
Figure 6 : PM8500 Rod electrode cabling set up
Figure 7 : PM8500 Rod electrode cabling set up

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One Wheel and Four-Wheel Electrode:
Figure 8 : PM8500 One wheel electrode cabling set up
Figure 9 : PM8500 Four-wheel electrode cabling set up

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4.1.7 How to mount the sensor on the harness
PM8500 includes a chest harness to carry the iPad, helping the user for free hands operation.
This harness is also very useful to carry the sensor unit when using the rod electrode. To do
so, you can use the universal holder, and connect the inner clamp to the harness belt.
If you do not want to use the iPad harness, you can always clip the holder to your trouser
pocket, or belt.
Figure 10 : PM8500 Universal Holder for Rod Electrode
Should you be using the one wheel or the four-wheel electrode, you can mount the universal
holder to the telescopic rod.
Figure 11 : PM8500 Universal Holder for Wheel Electrodes

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4.1.8 How to mount the telescopic rod on the one wheel and four-wheel electrode
One telescopic rod is provided in the one wheel and the four-wheel kit. This extensible system
is very useful to comfortably do measurements while using the wheel electrodes.
It also allows you to reach high elements, such as big walls, or roofs.
Figure 12 : PM8500 Telescopic Rod
4.1.9 How to replace the foam of the rod electrode
The rod electrode brings a foam that allows the cupper solution to enter the concrete surface.
This foam might be deteriorated within the time, and that is why some replacements are
provided in the standard kit.
Replacing a deteriorated foam is very easy following the next steps:
Figure 13 : PM8500 Rod Electrode: Foam replacement

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4.1.10 How to change the distance between the wheels
The four-wheel electrode allows the user to define the wheel spacing from 150mm to 250mm.
This is a very useful feature as this distance is fully customizable. 150mm is recommended
when a more refined grid is needed. 250mm is recommended when a big surface must be
tested.
This task is very easy to do, and all the tools are included in the four-wheel kit.
Figure 14 : PM8500 Four Wheel Electrode: 150, 200 and 250mm spacing options