Propagation of Corrosion‐Induced Cracking of the Reinforced Concrete Exposed to Stray Current in Rail Infrastructures

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the morphological characteristics of the corrosion‐induced cracks in reinforced concrete of the rail infrastructures induced by stray current and chloride ions. Cracks and the internal structure were obtained by X‐ray computed tomography. The spatial morphology was classified into Major Cracks, Secondary Cracks, and Internal Cracks. The width tendency, vertical penetration depth, and spatial morphology of the cracks can reflect the pattern and sequence of crack extension. The radial depths of the cracks in the same specimen decrease sequentially. When the defects are dispersed around the steel bar, the cracks correspond to a smaller average radial depth. The tortuosity of the crack reflects the length of the crack, the rate of the width variation, the relative position of the defects in relation to the aggregate as the crack expands, and the effect of the defects and aggregate on the crack extension. The results characterize the spatial morphology of corrosion‐induced cracks, which are helpful for further research on the extension pattern of corrosion‐induced cracks and nonuniform corrosion of steel bars.