Abstract
The carbonation process of reinforced concrete (RC) beams considering the combined effect of fatigue load and environmental factors was investigated experimentally in an environmental simulation chamber based on meteorological environmental data. Fourteen beams were constructed and tested, and a carbonation numerical model (CNM) considering medium transport and fatigue damage characteristics was proposed to simulate the carbonation process of RC beams. Based on the experimental results, CNM is extended to reveal the effects of ambient temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and fatigue damage on the carbonation process of RC beams. The results showed that the change in the pore structure of concrete can directly and accurately characterize the effect of fatigue damage on the transport characteristics of concrete. The porosity of concrete substantially increased with increasing levels of fatigue damage. Although fatigue damage did not have a significant effect on the most probable pore radius of the concrete, the total pore volume of the most probable pore notably increased. The results showed that both the carbonation depth and fatigue damage exhibit a three-stage development law. The depth and rate of carbonation are related to concrete pores and macroscopic cracks. In the carbonation analysis of fatigue-damaged RC beams, the changes in both the pore structure and fatigue cracks caused by repeated fatigue loading on carbonation should be considered.
Highlights
The corrosion of steel bars is an important factor affecting the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures; this kind of corrosion is usually related to carbonation and chloride ingress [1,2]
The carbonation process of reinforced concrete (RC) beams considering the combined effects of fatigue load and environmental factors was investigated experimentally in an environmental simulation chamber based on meteorological environmental data
The results show that concrete carbonation is a carbonation reaction process accompanied by the diffusion of CO2 gas in concrete pores
Summary
The corrosion of steel bars is an important factor affecting the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures; this kind of corrosion is usually related to carbonation and chloride ingress [1,2]. The deterioration process of concrete structures due to steel corrosion can be subdivided into two stages: the initiation stage and the propagation stage [3,4]. The propagation period is substantially shorter than the initiation period; the initiation period is generally selected to estimate the durability and service life of concrete structures. It is generally believed that the damage accumulation of concrete caused by fatigue load is caused by the degradation of pore structure and the propagation of microcracks in concrete [5]. To predict the durability of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure, it is important to carry
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