Study of the rust penetration and circumferential stresses in reinforced concrete at early stages of an accelerated corrosion test by means of combined SEM, EDS and strain gauges

摘要

Corrosion of steel bars for reinforcement leads to expansive pressure on the surrounding concrete that causes internal cracking and, eventually, spalling and delamination. The numerical and analytical modelling of cover cracking due to the corrosion of concrete usually involves a delay in such corrosion as a consequence of accepting a propagation time, after the beginning of the process, in which rust products penetrate the porous network of the concrete and pressure is mitigated. However, the assessment of this delay is based on empirical data. Regarding such a time, there is limited published research that focuses on the initial stage of the propagation of rust products in the porous structure of the surrounding concrete.