Download or read book Effect of Localized Corrosion of Steel on Chloride-Induced Concrete Cover Cracking in Reinforced Concrete Structures written by Ezeddin Rafaa Busba and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A mechanical model was developed to improve understanding of the underlying mechanism responsible for corrosion-induced stresses. A thick-walled multiple-cylinder approach was employed to simulate crack initiation and propagation to account for the residual strength property of concrete after cracking by applying the principles of applied elasticity. For a given concrete cover depth, the amount of Xcrit was shown by modeling to be largely determined by the length of corroding region and the capacity of the induced cracks to accommodate produced rusts. The properties of both concrete-rebar interface and corrosion products were also found to have a significant impact on Xcrit. Based on the model and experimental trends and comparisons with literature data, an improved relationship for the estimation of Xcrit was proposed. An electrochemical model was also formulated to address the possible role of corrosion aggravation due to macrocell coupling in counteracting the mitigating effect of increased Xcrit on time to concrete cover cracking. Findings confirmed that corrosion localization can reasonably be considered a mitigating factor for extending the corrosion propagation stage, and provided more precise quantification to that effect.