Enhancing corrosion resistance of reinforced concrete structures with hybrid fiber reinforced concrete

• Reinforced concrete beams were subjected to cyclic flexural loading.
• Hybrid fiber reinforced composites were effective in reducing corrosion rates.
• Crack resistance due to fibers increased corrosion resistance of steel rebar.
• Galvanic corrosion measurements underestimated corrosion rates.
• Polarization resistance measurements predicted mass loss more accurately.

Service loads well below the yield strength of steel reinforcing bars lead to cracking of reinforced concrete. This paper investigates whether the crack resistance of Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete (HyFRC) reduces the corrosion rate of steel reinforcing bars in concrete after cyclic flexural loading. The reinforcing bars were extracted to examine their surface for corrosion and compare microcell and macrocell corrosion mass loss estimates against direct gravimetric measurements. A delay in corrosion initiation and lower active corrosion rates were observed in the HyFRC beam specimens when compared to reinforced specimens containing plain concrete matrices cycled at the same flexural load.