A MODEL FOR PREDICTION OF TIME FROM CORROSION INITIATION TO CRACKED CONCRETE COVER CONSIDERING THE EFFECT OF LOAD

Prediction of propagation time of corrosion is a key element in evaluating the service life of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Corroded steel products often expand in volume and thus generate tensile stress in the protective concrete. When this tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength of the concrete, cracking occurs. The tensile stresses in concrete due to corrosion are usually perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reinforcement. When the load-induced stress in the concrete has the same direction as that of the stress due to the corrosion, cracks will likely appear more quickly and vice versa. A model considering the effect of the loads on the corrosion propagation time is proposed in this paper.