Corrosion-induced cracking and bond behaviour of corroding reinforcement bars in SFRC

In this study, an experimental programme has been carried out to investigate the influence of fibres on the onset of corrosion-induced splitting cracks. Cylindrical lollipop specimens with a centrally positioned 816 mm bar and varying cover depths from 40 to 64 mm were subjected to accelerated corrosion. A constant current of 100 μA/cm2 was impressed through the specimens and the electrical resistance between each rebar and an external copper mesh acting as cathode was monitored. The fibres, due to their confining effect, contributed to delay crack initiation, improve the post-peak bond behaviour and retain the initial splitting strength for corrosion levels of up to 8%