Corrosion-Induced Cracking of Concrete Elements Exposed to a Natural Marine Environment for Five Years

Abstract

The mechanism of corrosion-induced concrete cover cracking has received greater attention in recent years. Most studies involve accelerated electrochemical techniques to measure the corrosion required to induce concrete cracking. Concrete cylinders with different water/cement ratios exposed to a natural tropical marine environment were used to measure corrosion parameters such as time-to-corrosion initiation, apparent corrosion rate, cracking initiation, rebar radius loss to begin concrete cover cracking, and rebar pitting corrosion depth. Experimental results indicated a correlation between apparent corrosion rate values vs. rebar radius loss to begin concrete cover cracking, and average radius loss due to corrosion vs. maximum pit depth, during the remaining life period. The water/cement ratio is the most important parameter affecting crack generation and propagation, and apparent corrosion rate estimates.