Influence of load-induced cracks coupled or not with top-casting-induced defects on the corrosion of the longitudinal tensile reinforcement of naturally corroded beams exposed to chloride environment under sustained loading

This paper discusses the effect of both load-induced cracks and top-casting-induced defects on the corrosion characteristics of the tensile bars in reinforced concrete beams under sustained loading and exposure to a chloride environment. Four reinforced concrete beams exposed to climate accelerated natural corrosion were used in the present work. The cracking maps, chloride profiles and cross-sectional loss of four beams were studied and...