3D modelling of the interaction between bending and corrosion-induced cracks in reinforced concrete beams

Journal article, 2024

Bending and corrosion-induced cracks interact and impact the durability of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams in a complex manner. Still, research on the mechanisms behind this interaction is limited. In this study, a 3D nonlinear finite element modelling method of RC beams was developed to explore this interactive mechanism. The models were assessed against experimental benchmarks, showing good agreement in terms of crack pattern and growth. Moreover, the modelling method offered the advantage of visualising the internal condition of beams, including the propagation of internal cracks and the expansion of corrosion products represented by interface elements. A parametric study was conducted to examine the influence of three crucial factors: the transport of the corrosion products, the distance between bending cracks, and bending crack width. The modelling results revealed that the transport of corrosion products appeared to play a decisive role in the location of initiation and evolution of corrosion-induced cracks. Additionally, as the distance between the bending cracks decreased, the onset of corrosion-induced cracks transitioned from the midpoint between the bending cracks to the vicinity of them. Furthermore, an increase in bending crack width had no impact on the initiation and evolution of corrosion-induced cracks, while their widths, and variation of width along the bar, decreased.