Experimental study on the seismic performance of prestressed concrete beams under low-cycle reciprocating load and simulated acid rain corrosion environment

Abstract

The corrosive environment of acid rain affects the durability of prestressed concrete structures as well as their performance under seismic loading. Therefore, prestressed concrete beams subjected to simulated acid rain corrosion were tested under the low-cyclic loading tests. Many parameters were examined including failure mode, hysteretic behavior, backbone curve, ductility, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity of specimens at different corrosion degrees, jacking control stress, and concrete strength. Experimental results indicated that prestressed concrete beams all had a similar failure pattern, but the oblique cracks appeared earlier as the corrosion degree increased. The effect of corrosion degree, jacking control stress, and concrete strength on the prestressed concrete beams was minimal during the initial stage of loading, but became increasingly clear after entering the yield stage. It should be noted that the damage degree caused by corrosion time is the most obvious. The shape of the hysteresis loop of the prestressed concrete changed slowly from a shuttle shape to a “Z” shape as the corrosion time increased, and the energy dissipation capacity decreased continuously.