Overview of the cyclic response of reinforced concrete members subjected to artificial chloride-induced corrosion

Reinforced concrete (RC) elements suffer continuous deterioration across their lifetime from in situ aggressive environmental factors. Chloride-induced deterioration of the steel reinforcement presents significant repercussions on the mechanical and seismic behavior of affected RC members. This paper introduces and summarizes experimental work carried out at the University of Canterbury, investigating the long-term implications of chloride-induced deterioration on various mechanical properties. The impact of chloride corrosion on bond-slip behavior, the cyclic flexural response of large-scale RC piers, and the shear resistance of short RC columns, with particular focus on the latter, is reported. Results indicate that corrosion damage presents more severe consequences to the displacement ductility of RC columns than the load-bearing capacity. Transverse reinforcement presents a much greater risk and vulnerability to deterioration, leading to a transition in failure mechanism from a ductile response to a brittle shear/shear-bond failure. Reduced confinement negatively impacts the stress-strain response of the confined concrete and bond-slip behavior in cracked members, where friction is relied upon as the primary load-transfer mechanism once mechanical interlock is lost through the generation of rust by-products and concrete splitting.

Automated summary

This paper introduces and summarizes experimental work on the long-term implications of chloride-induced deterioration on the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete (RC) elements. The study found that corrosion damage has a greater impact on the displacement ductility of RC columns, and transverse reinforcement poses a higher risk and vulnerability to deterioration, leading to a transition in failure mechanism.