Analysis of corrosion induced crack in reinforced concrete with smeared crack approach

This paper aims to simulate the cracking process of the concrete due to reinforcement corrosion. Corrosion is one of major durability problems which can lead to failure of the structures. The previous study regarding corrosion induced crack still used uniform corrosion assumption. However, in a real situation, corrosion occurs non-uniformly. The non-uniform corrosion generates non-uniform internal pressure at the concrete which causes non-uniform crack formation. Therefore, in this study, the uniform and non-uniform rust distribution are simulated to investigate their effect on the cracking pattern in the concrete. To analyze crack in the concrete cover due to the expansion of the rust, the numerical configuration of uniform and non-uniform corrosion are employed in the finite element analysis. The effect of the deformed shape of the reinforcement also considered in this study. Based on the simulation result, it can be found that due to non-uniform corrosion, the cracks occur in the concrete are also not uniform. The section closest to the exposed surface suffers earlier fracture compared with other parts. The deformed shape of the reinforcement also affects the stress concentration which can generate local crack on that area.