Structural Behavior of Shear-Critical RC Slender Beams with Corroded Properly Anchored Longitudinal Steel Reinforcement

Abstract

The effect of corrosion of properly anchored longitudinal reinforcement on the structural behavior of shear-critical RC slender beams was experimentally investigated. A total of 10 medium-scale reinforced concrete beams were constructed. The beams measured 150 mm wide, 350 mm deep, and 2,400 mm in length. The test variables included corrosion levels (0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5%), existence of stirrups, and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) repair. Eight beams were subjected to artificial corrosion and two beams acted as control uncorroded beams. Following the corrosion phase, all beams were tested to failure in three-point bending. The test results revealed that corrosion of properly anchored longitudinal steel reinforcement does not have any adverse effect on the behavior of shear-critical RC slender beams. Corrosion changed the load transfer mechanism to a pure arch action and as a result the load-carrying capacity of the beam was improved. A simple analysis procedure was proposed to predict the failure load of such beams and the predicted results correlated very well with the experimental results.