ABSTRACT
Concrete is an inhomogeneous material with a relatively low tensile strength. Therefore it is often used in combination with steel reinforcement so that the steel can resist tensile stresses after cracking. One of the most severe forms of cracking in reinforced concrete is the result of the corrosion of the reinforcing bars. The obtained test results indicate that the presence of longitudinal cracks can significantly influence the bond behaviour of ribbed reinforcing bars in concrete. This suggests that bond reduction factors are necessary for cracks that run along the reinforcement bars when undertaking load bearing capacity checks of existing reinforced concrete structures. The bond strength of reinforcing bars in cracked cylinders embedded in an uncracked concrete ring of 23 mm is 18% lower than the original uncracked specimens with the same total concrete cover.
