Surface corrosion in uncracked high performance steel fibre reinforced cementitious composites

Abstract

High-performance steel fibre reinforced cementitious composites (HPSFRCCs) are usually produced with high contents of steel fibres. Therefore, more fibres are expected close to the surface. Despite the very dense matrix of these materials, the ingress of detrimental agents such as chlorides may occur. The objective of this work is to evaluate the mechanisms and effects of corrosion in HPSFRCCs specimens in terms of surface aspect. Eight mixes of HPSFRCCs with different fibre content (40, 80, 120 and 160 kg/m3), with and without chlorides added to the mixes were designed. Prismatic specimens were cast and exposed to two curing conditions: initially in wet room and then in climatic room. Surface aspect was assessed by visual analysis with the use of a classification criteria. Results showed that the chloride added to the mixes induced a damage related to the superficial aspect whereas the specimens without chlorides presented no sign of corrosion over time.