Cross-section modeling of the non-uniform corrosion due to chloride ingress using the positional finite element method

Abstract

In this paper, we propose an original and alternative FEM strategy to simulate the expansion and damage in cross sections of concrete elements due to non-uniform corrosion associated with chloride ingress. The strategy embed two-dimensional particle elements in two-dimensional matrix elements to simulate the stress distribution in the steel/concrete interface. This approach is different from the usual ones in which the steel rebar is replaced by forces and the contribution of the reinforcement stiffness is neglected. The reinforced concrete cross section is made by the composition of matrix and particle elements by means of nodal correspondence. This ensures that the number of degrees of freedom is not affected by the reinforcement, which makes the technique highly economical from the numerical point of view. A damage model contributes to the process of concrete degradation due to corrosion. The numerical applications ensure the accuracy of the developed model, showing its applicability in the analysis of non-uniform corrosion propagation in cross sections of reinforced concrete structures.

Influence of Retardation Time on Viscoelastic Behavior of Plane Beams Modeled by the Nonlinear Positional Formulation of the Finite Element Method

“…e use of such a formulation is justified by the capacity and simplicity of its application in the analysis of nonlinear problems as highlighted in Coda and Greco [17] and Greco and Coda [18]. For this reason, although relatively recent, the positional formulation has been the object of study of different researchers, as demonstrated in the works of Coda and Paccola [19], Maciel and Coda [20], Greco and Ferreira [21], de Oliveira and Greco [22], Sampaio et al [23], de Barros Cavalcante et al [24], Pascon and Coda [14], Carrazedo and Coda [25], Rabelo et al [15], and Ramos and Carrazedo [26].…”

Modeling Particles Elements in Damaged Reinforced Concrete Structures

“…2.4 Kinematics coupling strategy Paccola and Coda (2016) and Ramos and Carrazedo (2020). It consists of writing the nodal positions of the reinforcement elements according to the nodal positions of the matrix elements.…”

“…Reinforced composite materials, such as concrete, are easily modelled by the Positional FEM employing embedded techniques. With this technique, the structure stiffness is composed by the contribution of the domain (concrete matrix), fiber (rebars) and particle elements (coarse aggregates), and does not require nodal coincidence between discretizations, maintaining the overall number of degrees of freedom (Vanalli et al, 2008;Radtke et al, 2010;Radtke et al, 2011;Sampaio et al, 2013;Paccola et al, 2015;Paccola and Coda, 2016;Ramos and Carrazedo, 2020).…”

Shear contribution on viscoelastic behavior of beams modeled using plane frame elements with Reissner kinematics

“…Besides the authors' familiarity with the aforementioned positional formulation of the Finite Element Method, one of the motivations for using it in the present paper is due to its simplicity and applicability in analyses of nonlinear problems as highlight by the precursory authors of the formulation (Coda and Greco, 2004;Maciel and Coda, 2008). For this reason, although relatively recent, the positional formulation has been the object of study by several researchers, as demonstrated in the works of Coda and Paccola (2007), Greco and Ferreira (2009), Oliveira and Greco (2014), Sampaio et al (2015), Cavalcante et al (2017), Pascon and Coda (2017), Carrazedo and Coda (2017), Rabelo et al (2018), Fernandes et al (2018), and Ramos and Carrazedo (2020).…”