A review on the effects of cracking and crack width on corrosion of reinforcement in concrete

Abstract

It is widely known that corrosion is one of the main problems that reinforced concrete structures may endure during their life‐cycle. This problem is usually tackled in a prescriptive manner, by limiting the crack width allowed to occur during structures' service life. In an attempt to better understand the effect that cracking and crack width can have on the corrosion process, as well as systematize the existing work in the field, this paper presents a summary of an in‐depth literature review on the topic of reinforcement corrosion in concrete. The main focus is devoted to chloride‐induced corrosion since that is the most widely studied corrosion mechanism, even though carbonation‐induced corrosion is also relatively briefly discussed. The paper also presents an overview of the existing guidelines that have been used in the past to analyze and support decision‐making regarding corrosion in reinforced concrete structures.

Identifying the effect of thickness on crack width in one-way reinforced concrete slab structures

“…Both tables use the same specifications as in Table 1. There are significant differences in the experimental results and formula (3) indicating that there is a correction to the previous formula regarding its application to one-way plate structures. Fig.…”

“…(3) In Table 2, the maximum crack width values are presented by entering data on the specimens in this study in (3). These values are the first step in formulating the thickness factors, which if compared with laboratory results, will show facts that reveal the truth regarding the effect of thickness on the maximum crack width value of one-way reinforced concrete slabs.…”

“…Additionally, it is well known that one of the biggest problems that a reinforced concrete structure may face during its service life is corrosion. Prescriptive solutions to this problem often involve limiting the width of cracks that are allowed to form during the service life of the structure [3]. So, using a more accurate crack width formula can increase the durability of the structure.…”