ABSTRACT
Reinforcement corrosion is a major deterioration mechanism in existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In bridges, corrosion is mainly initiated by the presence and ingress of chlorides, leading to localized pitting phenomena and (potentially) a loss of structural capacity. Additionally, the expansive corrosion reaction causes cracking in the concrete cover and a loss of durability. In this paper, a computational framework is presented to take into account and predict the residual capacity of existing reinforced concrete bridge girders damaged by chloride-induced corrosion under distributed and localized loading. The effects of corrosion are accounted for by sectional reduction of the steel and concrete cover cracking. A stochastical analysis is performed to assess the remaining structural capacity given the various (uncertain) input damage parameters, such as crack width and/or locations and corrosion levels.
