Corrosion can reduce the service life of conventionally reinforced concrete structures. This paper describes how crack control in a hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HyFRC) which exhibits deflection hardening behavior can influence the corrosion rate of steel reinforcing bars in concrete.…
Corrosion can reduce the service life of conventionally reinforced concrete structures. This paper describes how crack control in a hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HyFRC) which exhibits deflection hardening behavior can influence the corrosion rate of steel reinforcing bars in concrete. Plain concrete and HyFRC beams with embedded steel reinforcing bars were cycled in flexure prior to exposure to a corrosive environment. After cyclic loading, corrosion was initiated by ponding salt water on the tensile surface of the beams. Corrosion rates were determined from periodic polarization resistance and galvanic current flow measurements. The steel reinforcing bars were extracted in order to examine their surface for corrosion and calibrate potentiodynamic mass loss estimates against direct gravimetric measurements. Delay in corrosion initiation and lower active corrosion rates were observed in the HyFRC beam specimens when compared to the reinforced specimens containing plain concrete matrices cycled at same flexural load level.