Damage to reinforced concrete due to reinforcement corrosion

Abstract

The products of steel corrosion create volumetric expansion in the steel bars that damages the concrete. The effects on the rc elements are described in this paper. The damage of concrete by cracking which produces a variation of the tension distribution over the entire section and causes a variation of the bending rigidity and a reduction of the concrete-reinforcement bond due to a loss of confinement are shown. We also analyse the strength capacity of the rc sections with corroded reinforcement subjected to bending under static load by direct and inverse methods. Finally, the author describes the structural effects due to corrosion on elements resistant to shear and torsion.