Quantification of the influence of cracks in concrete structures on carbonation and chloride penetration

In order to study the influence of existing cracks in concrete structures on the carbonation and chloride penetration, small-scale experiments were carried out on mortar prisms. Six different mortar compositions were investigated, stored in five different environmental conditions. At regular times, the carbonation and chloride penetration of cracked and uncracked specimens were examined experimentally. On the basis of the experimental results, a tentative formula is established, quantifying the influence of the cracks as a function of crack width and crack length. The statistical variation of the influence factor can be modelled by means of a log-normal distribution.