Bond behavior between corroded steel bar and concrete under sustained load

The degradation of bond behavior between corroded steel bars and concrete under sustained load is among the main issue for the durability of structures. In this study, the impressed current method was used to achieve target corrosion levels of tensile steel bar (0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%), while specimens bearing the sustained load (0%, 25%, 45%, and 65% ultimate load). The sustained load lasted for 60 days, during which the instantaneous slip and time-dependent slip were recorded. Finally, the bond strength of all kinds of specimens was measured by the flexural-bond test. The test results show that corrosion and load significantly affect the slip and bond strength between steel bar and concrete. Slight corrosion (less than 1%) leads to higher bond strength, up to 1.22 times that of the control group, while severe corrosion (more than 2.42%) leads to lower. Additionally, the strength reduction caused by the coupling of load and corrosion is more obvious than the single, by up to 45.66%. In addition, based on the test results, the time-dependent slip and bond strength prediction model were proposed, which can be used for predicting the service life of structures in the erosive environment.