Corrosion-Induced Cracks in Reinforced Concrete Slabs Incorporating Multi-peak Nonuniform Rust Layer

Corrosion-induced concrete cracking is of importance in evaluating service life of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In this study, an advanced 3D finite element (FE) model was developed to simulate crack propagation in RC slabs. The FE model showed its originality by incorporating multi-peak asymmetrical nonuniform expansion of rust between the steel bar and concrete. The rust expansion was established based on Asymmetrical Generalised von Mises distribution (AGvM model). An experimental programme of six RC slabs with three different rebar configurations was conducted to validate both the AGvM and the 3D FE models. As a result, it showed that the proposed AGvM model could better simulate nonuniform rust distribution around the rebar than the other six existing mathematical models. The proposed FE model could reasonably predict crack development in RC slabs with different rebar configurations. Based on the test results and numerical models, effects of rebar configurations on crack patterns induced by corrosion were also discussed.