The corrosion of reinforcing steel in reinforced concrete (RC) bridge decks due to the application of de-icing salts in winter has been recognized as one of the major causes of highway bridge deterioration in North America. Corrosion-induced damage is usually manifested by longitudinal cracking, spalling, and/or delamination of the concrete cover due to the expansion of corrosion products accumulating around the reinforcement. This damage leads to reduction or loss of serviceability, safety, and service life of RC bridge decks. This paper presents finite element analyses of the behaviour of the concrete bridge deck cover subjected to reinforcing steel corrosion. The prediction of the damage caused by corroding reinforcing bars is established by calculating the induced stresses in the surrounding concrete. The numerical model is used to conduct a parametric investigation of several design variables. It is found from the analyses that different failure mechanisms govern depending on the geometry and configuration of the reinforcing bars in the concrete cover of the bridge deck. Finally, the impact of concrete overlays on the governing failure modes of cracking, spalling and/or delamination of the concrete cover is investigated by using the model.
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