Effects of the reinforcement ratio and chloride corrosion on the fatigue behavior of RC beams

• Published in: International journal of fatigue Vol. 131; p. 105299
• Main Authors: Wu, Jieqiong, Diao, Bo, Xu, Jianchao, Zhang, Runxiao, Zhang, Wuman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Chloride corrosion; Chlorides; Corrosion effects; Corrosion fatigue; Fatigue behavior; Fatigue damage; Fatigue failure; Fatigue life; Materials fatigue; Product design; RC beams; Reinforced concrete; Reinforcement; Reinforcement ratio; Stiffness; Fatigue behavior; RC beams; Reinforcement ratio; Chloride corrosion; Fatigue damage
• ISSN: 0142-1123; 1879-3452
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2019.105299

•RC beams with a 2.91% reinforcement ratio exhibit nonlinear fatigue behavior.•Pre-fatigue damage and Cl- corrosion accelerate the degradation of RC beams.•Pre-fatigue damage and Cl- corrosion cause > 66% decrease in beams’ fatigue life.
Effects of reinforcement ratio (1.06%, 1.59% and 2.91%), and combined actions of initial fatigue damage and chloride corrosion (0.4 million cycles’ fatigue loading followed by 6 months’ NaCl solution wet-dry cycles) on the fatigue behavior of beams were experimental investigated. Results show: (1) directly fatigue loaded beams with reinforcement ratio of 2.91%, presented nonlinear developments of concrete tensile strains, deflections, amplitudes and stiffness; (2) these combined actions accelerated beams’ degradation, reflecting by the increased deflections, and nonlinear developments at reinforcement ratios of 1.59% and 2.91%; (3) total fatigue life of beams with these combined actions were >66% shorter than without.