Corrosion of steel in cracked concrete: a microscale study
bookPart
The influence of concrete cracking upon reinforcement corrosion is complex. Cracks allow fast
penetration of chlorides, potentially leading to a shorter initiation period of reinforcement corrosion. Structural
regulations control acceptable crack width values based on the exposure class of the structure. These regulations
are limited to crack width values at the concrete surface but do not account for the influence of cracks
at the concrete-steel interface. Research studies on corrosion of reinforcement embedded in cracked concrete
have shown that the correlation between cracks and corrosion is rather complex. Studying the condition of
pitting in steel reinforcement embedded in cracked concrete from a microscopic approach could lead to insights
on the mechanisms of corrosion under this condition. In this research, reinforced concrete specimens
were subject to cracking. Subsequently, the specimens were exposed to salt-dry cycles with a chloride solution
while continuously monitoring of open circuit potential (OCP), linear polarization resistance (LPR) and
electrical resistance of concrete. Visual analysis of corrosion pits of steel bars showed that a correlation between
crack width and pit dimensions was found
penetration of chlorides, potentially leading to a shorter initiation period of reinforcement corrosion. Structural
regulations control acceptable crack width values based on the exposure class of the structure. These regulations
are limited to crack width values at the concrete surface but do not account for the influence of cracks
at the concrete-steel interface. Research studies on corrosion of reinforcement embedded in cracked concrete
have shown that the correlation between cracks and corrosion is rather complex. Studying the condition of
pitting in steel reinforcement embedded in cracked concrete from a microscopic approach could lead to insights
on the mechanisms of corrosion under this condition. In this research, reinforced concrete specimens
were subject to cracking. Subsequently, the specimens were exposed to salt-dry cycles with a chloride solution
while continuously monitoring of open circuit potential (OCP), linear polarization resistance (LPR) and
electrical resistance of concrete. Visual analysis of corrosion pits of steel bars showed that a correlation between
crack width and pit dimensions was found
TNO Identifier
514663
Publisher
CRC Press
Source title
Concrete Solutions 2014
Editor(s)
Grantham, M.
Pages
523-529
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