Computational Fatigue Life Assessment of Corroded Reinforced Concrete Beams

Remaining performance of corroded reinforced concrete beams is numerically evaluated by means of poro-mechanics approach. Corrosion substance is treated as the combined phases of liquid and solid gels. The static loading experiment of corroded reinforced concrete beams is fairly simulated by the multi-directional fixed crack model combined with corrosion gel migration. Further, fatigue life of corroded reinforced concrete beams is studied numerically. Even if static shear strength is not reduced so much, remaining fatigue life could be shortened significantly due to the cyclic degradation of cracked cover concrete around expanded steel bars.