Title: Cracking-Corrosion Interaction in Concrete Exposed to Marine Environment

Author(s): P. Kumar Mehta and Ben C. Gerwick, Jr.

Publication: Concrete International

Volume: 4

Issue: 10

Appears on pages(s): 45-51

Keywords: cement pastes; corrosion; cracking (frac-turing); leaching; marine atmospheres; microcrack-ing; permeability; sea water; thermal gradient.

DOI:

Date: 10/1/1982

Abstract:
Physical and chemical processes which lead to en-largement of the size and area of microcracks in concrete are classified. The electrochemical phenome-non responsible for corrosion of steel in concrete is reviewed. A cracking-corrosion model is proposed according to which significant corrosion of steel occurs when the permeability of concrete due to excessive microcracking becomes high enough to permit oxygen access to large areas of the reinforcement.*