This paper presents an investigation of chloride-induced corrosion in steel fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (SFRCCs) under uncracked and pre-cracked conditions. The study focuses on a single SFRCC mixture and evaluates the impact of chloride exposure on the mechanical strength of the material using a 3-point bending test, with a particular focus on the chloride exposure period and the role of crack width in the corrosion process. The specimens were categorized into three groups: reference (unexposed), uncracked, and pre-cracked (with initial crack widths of 0.4 mm and 0.9 mm). They were exposed to salt spray cycles in a controlled chamber, simulating severe chloride environments, and tested after various exposure durations (28, 56, and 112 cycles). The results showed that in the uncracked samples, there was an increase in fR1 with longer exposure time to the aggressive environment, reaching a 15.45% increase after 112 days compared to the reference. Overall, uncracked specimens maintained their residual tensile strength despite extended chloride exposure, supporting previous findings that corrosion in uncracked SFRCC does not significantly compromise durability. In the cracked samples, increases in fR2, fR3, and fR4 were observed at early exposure stages (28 and 56 cycles) for specimens with a 0.9 mm crack width. After prolonged exposure (112 cycles), the residual tensile strengths converged toward reference values. For pre-cracked specimens, initial corrosion enhanced residual tensile strength in those with larger pre-cracks. However, after prolonged exposure, deterioration of the fiber–matrix bond became apparent.
Nunes et al. (Sun,) studied this question.