Title: Fatigue Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Corroded Steel Reinforcement

Author(s): Wei-Jian Yi, Sashi K. Kunnath, Xiao-Dong Sun, Cai-Jun Shi, and Fu-Jian Tang

Publication: Structural Journal

Volume: 107

Issue: 5

Appears on pages(s): 526-533

Keywords: concrete beam; corroded reinforcement; fatigue test

DOI: 10.14359/51663903

Date: 9/1/2010

Abstract:
Corrosion of steel reinforcement is one of the most prevalent degradation mechanisms in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. It may impair structural capacity through the loss of reinforcement cross section, the loss of bond between reinforcement and concrete, cracking, and spalling of the concrete. This study investigates the performance of RC beams with corroded reinforcement under fatigue loading. In addition, the mechanical properties of corroded steel reinforcement in beams after fatigue loading were investigated up to failure. It was found that an increase in the corrosion degree of steel reinforcement decreased the fatigue life of the beams and caused them to collapse in a brittle failure mode. For the same fatigue loading history, the ratio of maximum elongation at rupture to yield strength of the corroded steel decreased with an increase in the fatigue stress magnitude.