Experimental and analytical investigation of moment-carrying capacities of reinforced concrete frame systems corroded by accelerated corrosion method

Technical investigations carried out after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey in the last 25 years show that one of the main causes of damage to reinforced concrete structures is reinforcement bar corrosion. The deterioration caused by reinforcement corrosion in reinforced concrete elements reduces the parameters that define the performance level of the structure, such as ductility, stiffness, bond-slip relationship, load carrying capacity, and energy absorption capacity. Therefore, determining the specified performance levels of reinforced concrete structures exposed to corrosion before any seismic activity occurs is of great importance in preventing loss of life and property. Cross-section behavior in reinforced concrete structures represents the load-bearing element behavior In order to accurately determine the section behavior, the Moment-Curvature relationship must be defined. In this study, the structural behavior of reinforced concrete frames exposed to corrosion was examined experimentally and analytically. For this purpose, 4 of the 5 reinforced concrete frame specimens constructed were corroded at different ratios using the accelerated corrosion method. After the corrosion process was completed, in the experimental part of the study, all specimens were tested under the effect of a 20% constant axial load and reversal-cyclic loading. In the analytical study, as a result of the cross-sectional analyzes carried out by taking into account the material-mechanical properties changing with the effect of corrosion, it was determined that the calculated moment values were in high predicted with the experimentally measured moment values.