ABSTRACT
Deterioration due to reinforcement corrosion represents a significant cause of damage to reinforced concrete bridges all over the world. Although numerous studies have identified the substantial influence that corrosion can have on the failure of concrete structures under seismic loads, there has been comparatively less work done on the modelling of structural vulnerability due to corrosion. Accurate and computationally efficient structural modelling of corrosion deterioration is an essential prerequisite for structural reliability or fragility prediction, or life cycle cost and impact estimation. In this paper, a simplified approach for modelling reinforced concrete bridge columns that have undergone deterioration due to chloride-induced reinforcement corrosion is presented. While several models of increasing complexity are evaluated, a simplified non-linear analytical model that accounts primarily for the reduction in the steel cross-section due to corrosion is the central focus of the paper. The accuracy of the simple model is validated by comparing analytical results with experimental tests on reinforced concrete columns subjected to accelerated corrosion. The model results show excellent agreement with the experimental tests, making it particularly suitable for applications in vulnerability or reliability analysis where numerous non-linear dynamic analyses are necessary, or for further downscale or upscale integration with materialslevel or system-level models.
