Flexural behavior of strengthened concrete beams with corroding reinforcement

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on a total of 30 under-reinforced concrete beams which were subjected to corrosion after the cover zone was replaced with different high-performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites. A power supply was used to induce different degrees of corrosion into reinforcement. The beams were then tested under four-point bending for their load–deflection relations. The results show significant reductions in flexural strength due to reinforcement corrosion. The beams cast with a cover containing 50/50 blend of brass coated and hooked steel fibers have the best flexural performance. The beams cast with a cover containing glass fiber showed the smallest amount of strength reduction and a reasonable ductile failure after corrosion.