Environmental cracking of reinforcing steel in saturated calcium hydroxide solutions

Deterioration of reinforcing steel in concrete structures due to rebar corrosion is of national and international concern. Cathodic protection has evolved as the appropriate mitigating technique for existing structures. Another method which is being investigated is the electrochemical removal of chlorides from concrete. The current density used for this process leads to steel potentials at which hydrogen evolves. This raises concern regarding hydrogen embrittlement of reinforcing steel in concrete. For the purpose of analyzing this embrittlement tendency, a series of constant extension rate experiments was conducted in saturated calcium hydroxide solutions using notched and smooth specimens. While notched specimens did not show any effect of hydrogen embrittlement, the smooth specimens have revealed a reduction in ductility at high current densities. Experiments have shown that this loss in ductility is recoverable. Tests were also conducted on mortared smooth specimens which essentially exhibited the same trend observed as in the calcium hydroxide solution. The loss in ductility has been attributed to the enhanced void development in the presence of hydrogen during plastic deformation.