Bond behavior of corroded reinforcement: Experimental investigation and finite element analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the bond behavior of corroded reinforcing bars in reinforced concrete members using beam tests that reproduce stress conditions representative of structural members, complemented by nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis. Thirty‐five specimens were tested, including uncorroded control specimens and specimens subjected to mild (≈3% mass loss) and severe (≈15% mass loss) corrosion levels, with varying bar diameters (16, 22, and 36 mm) and concrete covers (38 and 63.5 mm). The results show that mild corrosion can lead to an increase in bond strength due to corrosion‐induced confinement, whereas severe corrosion leads to pronounced degradation of the bond stress‐slip response, associated with cracking and loss of mechanical interlock. FE analyses were conducted to simulate the behavior of both control and corrosion‐affected specimens. The nonlinear FE framework, incorporating corrosion‐dependent bond stress‐slip relationships, reinforcement cross‐sectional loss, and concrete cracking, accurately reproduced the observed responses across the investigated bar sizes, corrosion severity levels, and concrete cover depths. The combined experimental and analytical results provide a consistent basis for modeling bond behavior in corrosion‐damaged reinforced concrete members and highlight the importance of considering stress states representative of structural members in bond characterization.