Developing a three-dimensional finite element analysis approach to simulate corrosion-induced concrete cracking in reinforced concrete beams

Abstract

Corrosion-induced concrete cracking is a significant stage of structural deterioration in reinforced concrete (RC). Numerous numerical studies were conducted to address this problem, but relatively few considered the effects of stirrups and non-uniform corrosion in three dimensions. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) approach was developed to simulate corroded RC beams, considering non-uniform steel corrosion and a detailed arrangement of stirrups. The cracking patterns obtained from the simulation results agreed well with experimental observations. Subsequently, using the proposed FEA approach, the effects of the non-uniform corrosion and stirrup constraints on the cracking pattern were investigated. The simulation results indicated that an RC structure under non-uniform corrosion showed more severe cracking and reached the serviceability limit state earlier. The stirrups limited the propagation of the corrosion-induced cracks, but the constraint weakened with increasing distance from the location of the stirrups.