[1155] Analysis of effects of non-uniform corrosion on concrete cracks propagation
Keywords:internal crack pattern, non-uniform corrosion, rbsm, surface crack width
Concrete cracks propagation due to non-uniform corrosion was examined experimentally and analytically. In the experiments, the single-rebar slab specimens with different cover thicknesses were corroded using an electric corrosion method and the internal crack pattern was investigated. In the analysis, the corrosion expansion model incorporated into Rigid Body Spring Method was applied to simulate the cracking behavior by assuming the corrosion distribution around the rebar. The effects of the corrosion distribution and side cover thickness were studied. As the result, the internal crack pattern is strongly related with the corrosion distribution. When the corrosion broadly distributes around the rebar, the internal crack pattern for small concrete cover may be the same as that for large cover, which consists of parallel cracks to the concrete surface. The concentrated corrosion may cause the inclined internal cracks even in large cover. They are different from the theoretical crack pattern.