Analysis of Circumferential and Longitudinal Non-Uniformity of Steel Corrosion in Concrete Subjected to Mechanical Load

Abstract

Reinforcement corrosion significantly impacts the service life of reinforced concrete structures. The present study investigates the circumferential and longitudinal non-uniformity of steel corrosion in concrete subjected to mechanical load. Results indicate that, in the case of steel corrosion in concrete subjected to mechanical load, the distribution of rust layer thickness around the perimeter of the steel bar is fitted well with a Gaussian distribution. As the corrosion rate gradually increases, the uniform coefficient is linearly proportional to the minimum thickness of the rust layer. With respect to the longitudinal non-uniformity of steel corrosion, load-induced transverse cracks have a significant impact on the non-uniformity of corrosion, leading to the formation of rust peaks near the locations of transverse cracks. In the vicinity of each rust peak, the corrosion rate of the steel bar follows a Gaussian distribution. With respect to the non-uniformity of corrosion along the longitudinal rebar, a Gumbel distribution is identified to fit well, both in the cases of the non-stressed section and the pure bending section, although with dissimilar non-uniform parameters. Crack coefficients (α and β) are introduced to describe the influence of transverse cracks on the longitudinal non-uniformity of steel corrosion.