Rebar corrosion of a continuously reinforced concrete pavement being used for more than 30 years on the Jungbu Expressway, Korea

Abstract

We evaluated rebar corrosions in a continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) in use for more than 30 years through field surveys. Ultrasonic shear-wave tomography analysis and concrete coring indicated that horizontal cracks occurred within approximately 300 mm from the transverse cracks in both sound and deteriorated parts. Longitudinal rebar corrosion was only observed within approximately 150 mm from the transverse cracks. X-ray computed tomography image analysis revealed that the loss of cross-sectional area in the rebar due to corrosion, which was the largest within 70 mm from the transverse cracks, was generally 15–22%, whereas the loss at a distance of greater than 70 mm from the transverse cracks was largely decreased to approximately ≤ 4%. The chloride content in concrete at the rebar depth did not exceed the critical value, except in areas adjacent to transverse cracks. Our results suggest that the effect of rebar corrosion on long-term CRCP deterioration is insignificant.