Experimental study of corrosion-induced degradation of reinforced concrete elements

Corrosion of steel reinforcement is the main cause of damage for reinforced concrete structures. Iron oxides produced during the corrosion process can induce concrete cracking, loss of adhesion at the steel-concrete interface, loss of reinforcing bar cross-section and even spalling of the concrete cover. In the presented research, the durability problems related to the corrosion of the reinforcement are investigated by combining experimental and numerical studies. However, this paper particularly focuses on the experimental methodology used for the time evolution of damages (steel corrosion products formation and crack patterns) induced by the accelerated corrosion test. The accelerated corrosion tests were carried out by applying a constant current between reinforcement used as an anode and a counter electrode. To control the corrosion process, electrochemical parameters (such as free corrosion potential, polarization resistance, electrical concrete resistance) were measured. The purpose of this paper is to determine the width and length of the cracks and their orientation according to the current density and time