Steel corrosion induced shear performance deterioration of RC beams: Experimental investigation and numerical simulation

The corrosion of steel stirrups is recognized as a significant contributing factor to shear deterioration in reinforced concrete (RC) structures, leading to detrimental effects on structural performance and potential early failures during service. To investigate the effect of corrosion levels on the shear behavior of RC beams, a series of three-point bending tests were conducted in this study. Furthermore, finite element analyses were employed to duplicate the shear behavior and failure modes observed in the experiments. The numerical outcomes are aligned with experimental results, confirming the validity of the developed constitutive models. The findings reveal that a low corrosion level (5%) in steel stirrups exhibits a limited impact on the overall structural shear capacity (-4%-0.9%). However, a higher corrosion level (12%) in stirrups induces a more pronounced reduction in structural shear capacity. This reduction is particularly prominent in scenarios involving a high shear span-to-depth (a_v/d) ratio. The developed finite element model, incorporating comprehensive constitutive models for individual components, offers engineers a prospective approach for forecasting the long-term shear performance of corroded RC beams.