The effect of reinforcement corrosion on the adhesion between reinforcement and concrete

Due to aggressive environmental conditions, the adhesion between reinforcement and concrete deteriorates. This factor has a significant influence on the safety and efficiency of buildings and structures. The strength of adhesion between reinforcement and concrete decreases in the process of corrosion, and therefore requires a longer anchoring length of the reinforcement. The longer the anchoring length, the greater the guarantee that the destruction of the reinforcement in concrete does not occur until the lifetime of the reinforced concrete elements is expired. Various parameters affecting the reinforcement adhesion strength in reinforced concrete elements are considered. The ratio of the thickness of the protective layer and the diameter of the reinforcement (c/ds) affects the adhesion strength. With a higher (c/ds) ratio the loss of the adhesion strength is less than with a lower (c/ds) ratio. The mass loss of the reinforcement is an important parameter, and it can determine the level of corrosion. This value can be used for the development of the correlation between corrosion, cracking, the adhesion and ultimate strength of reinforced concrete elements.