Construction of a bearing capacity testing model for reinforced bridges based on material performance deterioration

Abstract

Reinforced concrete beam bridges have been extensively utilized in transportation engineering due to their advantages such as simplified material selection and low cost. However, the mechanical performance of steel bars and concrete deteriorates over time due to factors such as prolonged bridge service life, fluctuations in environmental temperature and humidity, and other influences. To achieve a precise and effective prediction of the bearing capacity of reinforced concrete structures, this study proposes a method for assessing bearing capacity in the context of material performance degradation. The study commenced by examining the factors that impact the degradation of bridge performance and subsequently utilized material performance test values along with predicted and corrected values to estimate the reduced bearing capacity of the bridge. Additionally, the mechanical and bonding properties of modified reinforced concrete materials were calculated. The experiment results demonstrate that the calculated values from the modified model closely align with the measured values with a differential range of 0.06 to 0.38. At a micro level, nano-SiO2 modification enhances rubber concrete by improving the compactness of the matrix and enhancing bond strength between steel fiber-and-nanosilica-reinforced crumb rubber concrete and deformed steel bars. The revised model in this study exhibits excellent predictive capability for concrete strength, thereby enhancing the accuracy of outcomes in evaluating bridge technical conditions. This method holds potential for practical engineering applications and scientific research on bridge evaluation.