Corrosion fatigue in reinforced concrete beams: accounting for the synergistic effects of corrosion and cyclic loading

Corrosion fatigue can be more damaging than corrosion or pure fatigue alone in reinforced concrete (RC) structures.RC bridges in corrosive environments are exposed to coupled corrosion fatigue, potentially leading to an overestimation of the fatigue life of bridge structures.Understanding and modelling fatigue crack propagation in the context of corrosion is crucial for improving the durability and safety of RC bridges under cyclic loading in corrosive environments.In this study, a model is developed to predict the fatigue life of reinforcement bars in aging RC beams exposed to corrosive environments.The model is based on Paris' law, integrating fracture mechanics principles and corrosion growth kinetics.It evaluates the critical crack size by accounting for the combined effects of mechanical loading and corrosive exposure.A correlation has been developed to relate equivalent initial flaw size to the degree of corrosion.The model's fatigue life predictions are validated against experimental results for corroded RC beams reported in the literature.