Meso-crack propagation of RC induced by non-uniform rebar corrosion and the predictive model of time to concrete cover cracking

Non-uniform corrosion expansion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures will lead to concrete cracking, bond degradation, and an overall reduction in load-bearing capacity, severely threatening structural safety and durability. Accordingly, meso-crack propagation of RC induced by non-uniform rebar corrosion and the predictive model of time to concrete cover cracking are investigated in this paper, and the theoretical solutions for the critical corrosion rate and the corresponding time are proposed for structural durability evaluation and design. Firstly, based on the mesh-mapping technique of multi-shape random aggregates, a finite-element generation method for three-dimensional concrete three-phase meso-scale model is proposed, with modeling corrosion-expanded cracking of RC, reproducing the crack morphology and propagation process of concrete cracking due to non-uniform rebar corrosion. Subsequently, single factor influence analysis and multi-factor orthogonal test were employed to reveal the degrees of influence of various factors on the critical corrosion rate as follows: concrete strength > cover thickness > interface layer strength > aggregate content > aggregate grading > aggregate shape. A theoretical predictive model for the corrosion expansion cracking time of the RC cover was proposed, considering the influence of key factors including concrete strength and cover thickness. Finally, the validity of theoretical prediction method and the numerical model's damage mode are verified through accelerated corrosion tests of RC.