Influence of corrosion on the bond strength of steel rebars in concrete

The problem of the durability of reinforced concrete structures is arisen, dramatically, in the last decades, showing that one of the most dangerous degradation phenomena is connected to the rebars corrosion. When active corrosion grows the oxides occupy a volume of about 2–4 times, with respect to the sound bar, causing a loss of bond, cracking and cover spalling. In this paper the corrosion effects at the steel–concrete interface are analysed. At this aim, pull-out tests are carried out, with different corrosion levels, for the definition of the bond-slip constitutive relationships of the damaged rebars. Furthermore, an analytical model is developed for evaluating the internal pressure due to corrosion products, for concrete specimens without stirrups, in order to provide a procedure for the definition of the maximum bond as a function of the corrosion percentage. Finally the analytical results are validated through a comparison with the experimental outcomes.