Residual capacity assessment of reinforced concrete D-Regions affected by corrosion

Abstract

The repair and rehabilitation of Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures affected by the corrosion of their reinforcement is a complex task. The estimation of the residual structural capacity of corroded RC structures is becoming a crucial factor in the decision-making process of repair or demolition. Many researchers have studied the effects of reinforcement corrosion on the load capacity of RC beams (Bernoulli or B-Regions) but little attention has been paid to disturbed or D-Regions. This piece of work presents a procedure for the assessment of the residual structural capacity of D-Regions in RC members. The bond deterioration between steel and concrete, the reduction of the cross-sectional area of reinforcement, the deterioration of the concrete area of the cross-section and the softening of concrete has been taken into consideration. The accuracy of the method has been tested with experimental results which exist in relevant literature.