Concrete cracking due to chloride-induced reinforcement corrosion – influence of steel–concrete interface defects due to the ‘top-bar effect’

This article deals with the influence of the steel–concrete interface condition on reinforcement corrosion and concrete cracking in a chloride environment. Four large concrete members were cast with horizontal reinforcements at different levels in order to create voids under the upper horizontal bars due to the well-known ‘top-bar effect.’ Then, the members were sawn into smaller specimens that included one rebar. Specimens obtained were...