Assessment of cracks in reinforced concrete by means of electrical resistance and image analysis
article
The durability of cracked reinforced concrete is a serious concern in the construction industry. Cracks represent fast routes for chloride penetration, which can result in reinforcement corrosion. Bending or tapered cracks have the characteristic of being wider at the surface and becoming narrower towards the reinforcement. In reinforced concrete, secondary cracks can be found at the concrete steel interface. Their influence on concrete durability remains uncertain. Electrical resistance and resistivity have been commonly related to transport properties of concrete. This paper studies bending cracks in reinforced concrete specimens by measuring the electrical resistance across the crack. Cut sections of the specimens were subsequently impregnated and photographed. Image analysis tools were employed for determining the crack dimensions. It was found that the relative increase in electrical resistance and the crack volume were related to the crack opening displacement (COD) at the concrete surface. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Topics
ConcreteCracksDurabilityElectrical resistanceLattice modelChlorine compoundsConcretesConstruction industryDurabilityElectric propertiesElectric resistanceImage analysisReinforced concreteChloride penetrationConcrete-steel interfacesCrack opening displacementsCracked reinforced concreteElectrical resistancesLattice modelingProperties of concretesReinforcement corrosionCracks
TNO Identifier
507074
ISSN
09500618
Source
Construction and Building Materials, 65, pp. 417-426.
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
Pages
417-426
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