Experimental study of the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete compression members under the combined action of sustained load and corrosion

Steel corrosion is an important factor in the durability of reinforced concrete members. There are numerous studies of reinforced concrete compression members in corrosive environments, but most studies involve corrosion under no load. To investigate the comprehensive effects of sustained load and corrosion on the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete members, this study simultaneously subjects 20 axial compression members to both sustained load and corrosion. The stirrups of 10 members are ordinary steel bars (A-type members), and the stirrups of the other 10 members are epoxy-coated steel bars (B-type members). The results show that the ultimate bearing capacity of corroded members can be significantly improved by using epoxy-coated stirrups, especially when the corrosion degree is high. A sustained load can reduce the actual corrosion degree of A-type members and increase the actual corrosion degree of B-type members. Under the same corrosion degree, the ultimate bearing capacity of the columns with stirrups made of ordinary steel bars increases as the sustained load increases, whereas for the columns with stirrups made of epoxy-coated steel bars, the ultimate bearing capacity decreases slightly as the sustained load increases. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.