Corrosion of the internal steel reinforcement is among the main causes of deterioration in concrete bridges. The expansive nature of corrosion products can lead to cracking, delamination or complete spalling of the concrete cover. The subsequent reduction in reinforcement anchorage is difficult to assess accurately. To study the effects of spalling on the steel-to-concrete bond, pull-out tests were carried out on half-joint cantilever specimens. Spalling was simulated with progressively reduced cover. This led to degradation of bond and anchorage of the longitudinal bars. However, the presence of transverse confining reinforcement had beneficial effects, limiting bond degradation and avoiding brittle failures where splitting occurred.