Stress corrosion of pre-stressing steel

Question

Explain the stress corrosion of pre-stressing steel.

Answer 1

Stress corrosion is the crystalline cracking of metals under tensile strains in the existence of corrosive agent. Necessary conditions for stress corrosion to take place are that the steel is subjected to tensile stresses occurring from outside loading or inside induced stress. The presence of corrosive agents is crucial to trigger stress corrosion. One of the main characteristics of stress corrosion is that the material cracks and no signs can be seen from outside. Hence, stress corrosion takes place without any noticeable warning signs.