Nonlinear finite element modeling of the impact of reinforcement corrosion on bridge piers under concentric loads

Abstract

Corrosion of reinforcing steel in reinforced concrete (RC) infrastructure is one of the most detrimental deterioration mechanisms, affecting both safety and serviceability. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis methodology of corrosion damage is adopted. The detrimental effects of corrosion‐induced degradation of material properties on the ultimate capacity of an existing aging RC bridge pier under concentric loading are investigated. A three‐dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis using the commercially available finite element program DIANA is used. The main corrosion‐induced deteriorating factors considered in the present study are: concrete strength degradation within the cover and part of the confined concrete core due to corrosion‐induced cracking, degradation of confinement effects, steel area reduction due to uniform corrosion (in both longitudinal and tie reinforcement), steel ductility degradation due to pitting corrosion, buckling of compressive steel bars due to cross‐section reduction and confinement degradation, and bond strength degradation between steel and concrete induced by concrete cracking/spalling. The methodology is evaluated by comparing the numerical results to those of corroded column tests reported in the literature.

Nonlinear finite element modeling of bridge piers under the combined effect of corrosion, freeze–thaw cycles, and service load

“…In the proposed stage‐based analysis, different corrosion and frost‐damage stages are defined to incorporate the effects of variable deteriorating factors over the bridge's service life, explained in detail in the following sections. The adopted corrosion damage model was explained in detail in an earlier study by the authors 19 . The corrosion‐induced deteriorating effects include rebar's cross‐sectional loss, rebar's ductility degradation, 7 rebar's compressive stress–strain response degradation (possibility of elastic and inelastic buckling), 3,8 confinement degradation, and bond‐slip response degradation 16 .…”

“…The adopted corrosion damage model was assessed by simulating corroded RC columns reported in the literature 42 . The details of the verification studies conducted on the corroded RC columns tested by Rodriguez et al 8 and Wang and Liang 43 are presented in an earlier study by the authors 42 .…”

“…The proposed corrosion damage scenario assumes that the progressive corrosion‐induced deterioration effects are generated in three stages: stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 19 . According to field investigations 47 and on‐site observations (Figure 4a, 48 b), the damage is assumed to be localized in the splashing zone (middle third) of the pier 19 . Foundation footings in cold climates are required to be placed below the depth of frost penetration, with a minimum of 1.2 m below ground level.…”

“…The structural performance of small‐scale corroded RC columns has been studied experimentally, 4,17 with few numerical studies also investigating the seismic performance of corroded RC columns 5,6,18 . In a recent study, the authors investigated the structural performance of real‐scale corroded RC bridge piers under the combination of different levels of corrosion and concentric traffic load 19 …”

Simplified Seismic Evaluation of Aged Corrosion Damaged Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns as Part of Simplified Semi-Quantitative Assessment Framework

“…It requires complex material models, convergence and refinement studies, and advanced verification and calibrations. For example, using DIANA FEA for the analysis of bridge columns under concentric or eccentric loads requires significant mesh convergence time, massive run time, huge disk space, and other modeling efforts [31]. In this study, the concrete in the column is modeled using two types of isoparametric solid brick elements based on quadratic interpolation and Gaussian integration (a twenty-node "CHX60" and a fifteen-node "CTP45") with a meshing based on 50 × 50 × 50 mm elements volume.…”