Patent ID: 7959786

Claim:
A method for cathodic protection for use in a concrete material having a steel member at least partly embedded in the concrete material; the method comprising: providing a sacrificial anode member in the form of a solid body separate from the concrete material and at least partly formed from a sacrificial anode material of a character which corrodes relative to the steel member to form corrosion products; embedding the anode member in the concrete material such that at least a part of the surface of the sacrificial anode material is in contact with the concrete material; and electrically connecting the anode member to the steel member so that an electrical galvanic potential therebetween causes an electrical current to flow therebetween through the electrical connection and causes ions to flow through the concrete material causing corrosion of the sacrificial anode material and tending to inhibit corrosion of the steel member; wherein the anode member is at least partly formed of a sacrificial anode material having voids between portions of the sacrificial anode material; wherein the sacrificial anode material of the anode member is arranged relative to the concrete material so as to apply forces therefrom to the concrete material with the potential of cracking; and wherein the voids are arranged such that corrosion products from corrosion of the anode member are received into the voids sufficiently to prevent expansion of the anode member to an extent which causes cracking of the concrete material; wherein the portions of the sacrificial anode material are deformed from an initial condition to form the voids.