Numerical analysis of the shear behavior for steel fiber reinforced concrete beams with corroded reinforcing bars

Abstract

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC), which improves mechanical properties after cracking, became an interesting material for reinforced concrete structures. However, there is limited research on the performance of SFRC beams in corrosive environments. This paper concerns numerical simulations to validate and evaluate the impact of design-oriented parameters contributing to the shear behavior of SFRC beams corroded under chloride attack. The finite element analysis (FEA) results were compared with the experimental data for both non-corroded and corroded SFRC beams. To minimize the differences, the comparison between the proposed models and experiment showed a close agreement on the load–displacement relationship, failure mode, and cracking pattern. After conducting parametric investigations, the numerical results reveal that the shear reinforcement ratio insignificantly affects the shear strength of corroded SFRC beams. In contrast, concrete compressive strength, shear span-to-depth ratio, and corrosion degree of tensile longitudinal reinforcements significantly impact the shear strength of corroded SFRC beams.