Corrosion of steel fibre reinforced concrete from the cracks

The corrosion of steel fibres in the cracked section has been under investigation by many researchers since the last 15 years. It is reported widely that in case of steel fibres reinforced concrete (SFRC), corrosion is less active as compared with steel bars. In the cracked section, the durability of the material depends on the performance of the bridging capacity of the fibres embedded in the concrete. The corrosion of the fibres not only could produce the spalling of concrete but it could also reduce the sectional area of the fibres, turning the durability of structures in danger. This study focuses on those two aspects of fibre corrosion. The tests were performed on cracked SFRC samples with 0.5-mm crack mouth openings (CMOs) exposed to marine-like environment for 1 year. The results confirm the small sensitivity of SFRC to corrosion. Surprisingly, they made appear an increase of the flexural strength after corrosion. The factors affecting the corrosion of the fibres and the reasons for the increase in flexural strength after corrosion are discussed.