Cyclic Behavior of Corroded Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers

Corrosion damage is one of the main problems affecting the durability of concrete structures. Several corroded reinforced concrete (RC) railway bridges are located in regions of high seismic risk. Corroded bridge piers are often subjected to dynamic axial loads, such as the vertical pounding that occurs during earthquakes or due to railway trains. Repeated axial loading was used to simulate this vertical pounding effect. Therefore, the seismic performance of corroded RC structures under repeated axial and horizontal cyclic loading is an urgent issue. To investigate the influences of steel corrosion and repeated axial loading on the seismic performance of a column pier, eight RC column specimens were experimentally investigated. The results indicated that corrosion significantly influences the yield strength and load bearing capacity of a column. The load bearing capacities of the corroded specimens decreased by 18.27% compared with noncorroded specimens when the longitudinal loss of steel mass was 7.16%. Repeated axial loading did not significantly influence the mechanical properties of the corroded RC piers. Cyclic tests were performed to validate a finite-element model that was used to assess the effects of corrosion level on the seismic performance of columns. The level of steel corrosion ranged from 0 to 28%. According to the finite-element analysis, the yield strength (35%) and ultimate displacement (34%) decreased with increasing corrosion. (C) 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.