The Corrosion Probability and Flexural Strength of an RC Beam under Chloride Ingress Considering the Randomness of Temperature and Humidity

Abstract

The load capacity of reinforced concrete structure will decrease by chloride ingress in coastal region. In this paper, the corrosion probability and flexural strength of a typical reinforced concrete beam design under the influence of temperature and humidity was obtained by the Monte Carlo method. The relationship between flexural strength, temperature, relative humidity, and geometric parameters was established. The annual average temperature and relative humidity were treated as random variables together with the geometric size and concrete compressive strength. The corrosion probability and flexural strength in a wave splashing zone, coastal atmospheric zone, and offshore atmospheric zone were calculated. The results show that the corrosion probabilities of the three regions are obviously different. When the standard deviation of temperature is less than 1.5 °C, the temperature can be treated as a constant in the calculation of the concrete cracking probability in the wave splashing zone. A binary logistic regression formula was given to predict whether the randomness of temperature and humidity should be considered in the offshore atmospheric zone. When the standard deviation of the temperature is less than 1 °C, the temperature randomness has no significant effect on the flexural strength of beams in the wave splashing zone. The flexural strength distribution conforms to the normal distribution in the early stage of service and the Weibull distribution after concrete cracking.

Degradation Models and Maintenance Strategies for Reinforced Concrete Structures in Coastal Environments under Climate Change: A Review

“…Corrosion of reinforcing steel is a major problem for concrete structures, particularly those exposed to a chloride environment [38], and coastal RC structures will be affected by chloride ingress, resulting in the decline of capacity [89]. Numerous research studies have indicated that different corrosion patterns cause variable corrosion rates and compositions of corrosion products [35].…”

“…More recently, Pang et al [89] analyzed the relationship between flexural strength, temperature, relative humidity, geometric parameters, and corrosion probability. The results showed high variability in corrosion probabilities depending on the exposure zone.…”