Simulation of Coupled Corrosive Product Formation, Migration into Crack and Propagation in Reinforced Concrete Sections

Abstract

This paper aims to numerically simulate corrosion induced cracking, its propagation over sections of reinforced concrete members and the penetration of corrosive gel product into crack gaps. A coupled steel core and surrounding corrosion product are mechanically represented by a fictitious growing composite, with which the corrosive cracking initiation and subsequent propagation are simulated by 2D nonlinear crack analysis. The injection of corrosive gels into evolving cracks is substantiated in cases where corrosive cracks stably propagate such as large covers and/or comparatively small diameters of steel, and the coupled system of gel formation, migration and crack propagation is newly presented. The simulation scheme was verified through RC sections subjected to accelerated corrosion by electric current with regard to crack patterns and critical corrosion rates when cracks reach the outer surface of members.

A double-cylinder model incorporating confinement effects for the analysis of corrosion-caused cover cracking in reinforced concrete structures

“…To simulate the corrosion-caused cracking in RC structures, a two-phase mechanical system [22,24], which is composed of corrosion products with non-corroded steel as one integrated phase (or a composite) and concrete as another phase, is employed. With the increase in corrosion product, the corrosion products and noncorroded steel are combined together to form a steel-corrosion product composite, which can be regarded as a cylinder subjected to a restraining pressure P rust,i .…”

Finite element analysis of cracking and delamination of concrete beam due to steel corrosion

“…However, most of the analytical results reported so far were obtained using individually developed finite element package, and were validated using galvanostatic experimental results, which actually differ from those in real world of corrosion damaged concrete structure [21]. In particular, little attention has been paid to the engineering interpretation of FE results and the effect of key parameters of a concrete beam on its cracking and delamination.…”

“…According to FE results, it has been found that the cracking of concrete initiates and develops as a result of an increase of the radial expansion of corroding bars. If the permeation of corrosion products from a corroding bar into its surrounding concrete cover and into the developed cracks were taken into account, both critical amount of corrosion for concrete cracking and the width of concrete cracks could be well estimated [21].…”

“…As a result, finite element method was brought into this research field, and facilitated an effective tool to study the corrosion -induced cracks in the concrete [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. In these FE analyses, reinforced concrete beams or slabs were idealised as three or two dimensional analytical models.…”

Modelling of reinforcement corrosion – Investigations on the influence of shrinkage and creep on the development of concrete cracking in the early propagation stage of reinforcement corrosion

“…Thus, a realistic and quantitative description, as well as a reliable prediction of the damage process due to corrosion of the reinforcement, is not possible yet. A major deficiency in previous investigations is the ignorance of a constitutive model for rust [3,4]. Thus, it is impossible to evaluate realistic time intervals for the appearance of corrosion damage.…”