## 1 Introduction  
Reinforced concrete (RC) is a resistant and durable material that is widely used in the construction of different types of structure. It is one of the most used materials in the world because of the availability of its components and its ease of construction. However, structures placed in coastal and offshore areas are exposed to chloride-induced corrosion. The penetration of chloride ions is one of the major causes of deterioration of RC structures [1, 2]. It causes a local reduction in the reinforcement and an accumulation of corrosion products at the interface between concrete and steel, which lead to tensile stresses that initiate cracks. The different effects of chloride-induced corrosion produce a significant reduction in the service life and structural safety, as well as an increase of maintenance costs [3, 4, 5]. Reinforced concrete structures, generally designed for a lifetime of 50 to 100 years, could begin to deteriorate after 20 to 30 years when are in contact with chloride ions [6, 7, 8]. In addition, structures in service are subject to mechanical stresses such as cyclic loads, which cause cracks in the reinforcedconcrete. This cracking modifies the porous structure of the concrete and, therefore, modify the chloride ion-diffusion process [4; 9; 10]. Cracks and defects in concrete elements are detected and characterized using destructive or non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. Destructive inspection techniques are restrictive to be used in situ and they are expensive, unlike NDT, which are inexpensive, efficient and more suitable for reinforced-concrete structures [11]. Acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) are among the most frequently used NDT methods. For example, [PERSON] [12] applied the DIC method to measure the displacement, deformation and development of cracks continuously on concrete slabs containing fly ash. This study shows the usefulness of DIC for the precise determination of the parameters of the fracture mechanics in concrete composites. [PERSON] et al. [13] used the AE method to characterize the failure parameters of a self-compacting concrete modified with the addition of nanoparticles of SiO\({}_{2}\) and TiO\({}_{2}\). Non-destructive methods have also been applied individually, or in a combined way, in many studies to determine unknown material properties and defects [11; 14; 15]. This paper focuses on the chloride ingress into concrete considering the effects of static and cyclic loading. Corrosion and cracking are two of the main causes of degradation of reinforced or prestressed concrete structures. For structures placed in corrosive environments and subjected to complex loads (for example bridges, offshore wind turbines, etc. ), there is an interaction between chloride-induced corrosion and concrete cracking due to loadings. Indeed, the products of corrosion increase the number of cracks [16; 17; 18], and cracks induced by loading increase the amount of chloride in concrete [4; 9; 18]. Therefore, the coupling of these two phenomena accelerates the deterioration of structures, thus reducing their resistance and lifetime [4; 17]. Several authors have worked on the coupled effects of corrosion and cyclic load in RC structures. [PERSON] et al. [19] conducted an experimental campaign to evaluate the combined effects of accelerated corrosion and mechanical actions (cyclic loading, and cyclic and static loading) on concrete beams. The results showed that the evolution of longitudinal cracks in concrete due to corrosion depends on the level and type of the load. Other authors [20; 21] evaluated the durability of RC structures subjected to the combined effects of corrosion and loading-induced cracking. These studies have shown that mechanical loadings significantly reduce the time and probability of initiation of corrosion depending on the exposure conditions. The diffusion of chlorides into concrete is a complex phenomenon where chemical and physical mechanisms interact depending on material properties and environmental exposure.