Anchorage in naturally corroded specimens taken from existing structures

Paper in proceeding, 2012

In an on-going project, the anchorage capacity of naturally corroded steel reinforcement was investigated experimentally. The beam specimens were taken from edge beams of Stallbacka Bridge in Sweden. The specimens showed different extent of corrosion induced damage; from no sign of corrosion to extensive cracking and spalling of the concrete cover. After consideration of different possible test setups, a four point bending test indirectly supported with suspension hangers was chosen. The beams were strengthened with transverse reinforcement around the suspension hangers to avoid a premature failure. Eight successful tests have been carried out so far; in all these, a diagonal shear crack preceded an anchorage failure. The anchorage behaviour was examined through monitoring the applied load, free-end slip and mid-span deflection. The test results can be used to extend our knowledge concerning the structural behaviour of corroded reinforced concrete structures to field conditions.