Analytical Model for Corrosion-Induced Crack Width in Reinforced Concrete Structures

摘要

Crack width is a parameter of the most practical significance for the design and assessment of reinforced concrete structures. Practical experience and observations suggest that corrosion-affected reinforced concrete structures are more prone to cracking than other forms of structural deterioration. Moreover, concrete cracking incurs considerable costs of repairs and inconvenience to the public due to interruptions. This gives rise to the need for a thorough investigation to achieve cost-effectiveness in maintaining the serviceability of concrete structures. This study attempts to derive an analytical model for corrosion"-induced crack width based on the concept of smeared cracks A merit of the derived model is that it is directly related to critical factors that affect the corrosion-induced concrete cracking. After verifying the derived model, a parametric study was undertaken to quantify the effect of these factors on cracking development. It was found that corrosion rate, as represented by corrosion current density i_corr, is the most important single factor that affects both the time to surface cracking and the growth of crack width. It is concluded that the model derived in this paper can predict corrosion-induced crack width with reasonable accuracy.