Abstract: Reinforcement corrosion often causes a volume increase due to the oxidation of metallic iron, and this often leads to the concrete expansion and ultimately the cover cracking. Based on elastic-plastic theory and fracture mechanics theory, an analytical model in which reinforcement is assumed to be uniformly corroded and c/d0 (c represent the concrete cover and d0 is the reinforcement diameter) is a key factor, is proposed to determine the critical attack penetration depth of reinforcement at cover cracking induced by steel corrosion. The analytical model is then investigated through its ability to reproduce available experimental trends. Reasonably good agreement between the analytical results and experimental data has been obtained.