Recovery of seismic resistance in corrosion-damaged reinforced concrete through FRP jacketing

Corrosion of steel reinforcement is a critical issue in assessment of exposed reinforced concrete (r.c.) structures because its harmful influence on stiffness, strength and ductility may drastically limit their service life. In assessing residual strength several parameters need be considered: loss of flexural strength due to bar section loss, bursting pressure due to rust build-up, loss of bond due to reduction of rib height and the coefficient of friction. This paper explores the behaviour of corroded r.c. members under flexure-shear (seismic effects). An analytical model was developed to describe the mechanical implications of corrosion. The efficacy of FRP jackets in slowing down corrosion and for strength recovery is considered. Experiments from international literature were used to correlate the proposed methods and to derive practical expressions for assessment and redesign.