Failure contingency assessment of corroded beams based on structural parameters

Abstract

The effects of corrosion in the serviceability state and capacity state on the failure contingency, life cycle cost (LCC) and optimum repair time (ORT) of reinforced concrete beams were evaluated. Gradual corrosion-induced crack widths were obtained using the cohesive crack model. Deterioration of flexural capacity was examined through a simplified three-dimensional finite-element model. Considering the crack width and capacity as random variables in the gamma process, the LCC and ORT were investigated using a renewal process. Analysis of the effective parameters indicated that the corrosion rate in the serviceability state and the tensile rebar ratio in the capacity state had the most significant effects on the probability of failure (PoF), the LCC and the ORT. With a decrease in the corrosion rate, the PoF reduced and the ORT increased. With an increase in the aspect ratio of the section, the LCC increased and the ORT declined.