Evaluation of the Inhibitory Gel Aloe vera against Corrosion of Reinforcement Concrete in NaCl Medium

Most reinforced concrete structures in seaside locations suffer from corrosion damage to the reinforcement, limiting their durability and necessitating costly repairs. To improve their performance and durability, we have investigated in this paper Aloe vera extracts as a green corrosion inhibitor for reinforcing steel in NaCl environments. Using electrochemical methods (zero-intensity chronopotentiometry, Tafel lines and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), this experimental work investigated the effect of these Aloe vera (AV) extracts on corrosion inhibition of concrete reinforcing bar (HA, diameter 12mm) immersed in a 0.5M NaCl solution. The results show that Aloe vera extracts have an average corrosion-inhibiting efficacy of around 86% at an optimum concentration of 20%.

Analysis of Bonding Properties of Corroded Reinforcement Concrete

In order to investigate the degradation of bonding properties between corroded steel bars and concrete,this study employs the half-beam method to conduct bond-slip tests between corroded steel bars and concrete after impressed-current accelerated corrosion of the steel bars in concrete.The effects of steel corrosion rate,steel bar diameter,steel bar strength grade,and concrete strength grade on the bonding properties between concrete and corroded steel bars were analyzed.The influence of different corrosion rates on specimens’bonding strength and bond-slip curves was determined,and a constitutive relationship for bond-slip between corroded steel bars and concrete was proposed.The results indicate that the ultimate bonding strength of corroded reinforced concrete specimens decreases with increasing corrosion rate.Additionally,an increase in corrosive crack width leads to a linear decrease in bonding strength.Evaluating the decline in adhesive properties through rust expansion crack width in engineering applications is feasible.Furthermore,a bond-slip constitutive relationship between corroded steel bars and concrete was established using relative bond stress and relative slip values,which aligned well with the experimental findings.

Simulation of Corrosion-Induced Cracking of Reinforced Concrete Based on Fracture Phase Field Method

Accurate simulation of the cracking process caused by rust expansion of reinforced concrete(RC)structures plays an intuitive role in revealing the corrosion-induced failure mechanism.Considering the quasi-brittle fracture of concrete,the fracture phase field driven by the compressive-shear term is constructed and added to the traditional brittle fracture phase field model.The rationality of the proposed model is verified by a mixed fracture example under a shear displacement load.Then,the extended fracture phase model is applied to simulate the corrosion-induced cracking process of RC.The cracking patterns caused by non-uniform corrosion expansion are discussed for RC specimens with homogeneous macroscopically or heterogeneous with different polygonal aggregate distributions at the mesoscopic scale.Then,the effects of the protective layer on the crack propagation trajectory and cracking resistance are investigated,illustrating that the cracking angle and cracking resistance increase with the increase of the protective layer thickness,consistent with the experimental observation.Finally,the corrosion-induced cracking process of concrete specimens with large and small spacing rebars is simulated,and the interaction of multiple corrosion cracking is easily influenced by the reinforcement spacing,which increases with the decrease of the steel bar interval.These conclusions play an important role in the design of engineering anti-corrosion measures.The fracture phase field model can provide strong support for the life assessment of RC structures.

Numerical investigation of the effects of soil-structure and granular material-structure interaction on the seismic response of a flat-bottom reinforced concrete silo

In this work,a numerical study of the effects of soil-structure interaction(SSI)and granular material-structure interaction(GSI)on the nonlinear response and seismic capacity of flat-bottomed storage silos is conducted.A series of incremental dynamic analyses(IDA)are performed on a case of large reinforced concrete silo using 10 seismic recordings.The IDA results are given by two average IDA capacity curves,which are represented,as well as the seismic capacity of the studied structure,with and without a consideration of the SSI while accounting for the effect of GSI.These curves are used to quantify and evaluate the damage of the studied silo by utilizing two damage indices,one based on dissipated energy and the other on displacement and dissipated energy.The cumulative energy dissipation curves obtained by the average IDA capacity curves with and without SSI are presented as a function of the base shear,and these curves allow one to obtain the two critical points and the different limit states of the structure.It is observed that the SSI and GSI significantly influence the seismic response and capacity of the studied structure,particularly at higher levels of PGA.Moreover,the effect of the SSI reduces the damage index of the studied structure by 4%.

Electrochemical Study of the Corrosion Inhibitory Capacity of Calcined Attapulgite in Reinforced Concrete Medium

The durability of reinforced concrete structures is greatly influenced by the corrosion of the reinforcement. In addition to air pollution related to the repair of corroded structures, chloride ions are the main factors of corrosion of reinforced concrete structures. This study aims to valorize a clay inhibitor against reinforcement corrosion in reinforced concrete. This clay (Attapulgite) was incorporated into reinforced concretes at different percentages of substitution of calcined attapulgite (0%, 5% and 10%) to cement in the formulation. The corrosion inhibitory power of attapulgite is evaluated in reinforced concretes subjected to the action of chloride ions at different intervals in the NaCl solution (1 day, 21 days and 45 days) by electrochemical methods (zero current chronopotentiometry, polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). This study showed that in the presence of chloride ions, the composition based on 10% attapulgite has an appreciable inhibitory effect with an average inhibitory efficiency of 82%.

Experimental Study of the Anti-Corrosion Performance of Montmorillonite K-10 on Rebar in HCl Environment: Application in Mortar for the Rehabilitation of Reinforced Concrete Degraded by Corrosion

This work first investigates the corrosion-inhibiting behavior of montmorillonite K-10 on reinforcing steel. The corrosion-inhibiting power of the clay (Montmorillonite) is determined in a medium HCl (C = 1N) using free corrosion potential monitoring, Tafel potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results of this study showed a satisfactory corrosion-inhibiting efficiency of around 72.665% for the optimum content of 1%. This is due to the presence of a stable oxide layer that protects the metal against corrosion. To validate the concept of montmorillonite as a corrosion inhibitor in repair mortar, we now turn to the influence of montmorillonite on the mechanical properties of mortars in the hardened state. In this part, montmorillonite K-10 is added to the mortar by partial substitution of the cement by 5% and 10% of the cement mass. The aim of this study is to ensure that the addition of this clay to the mortar composition will not have a negative effect on its compressive and flexural strengths. The results of the compression and flexural tests showed that the presence of montmorillonite in the mortar improved flexural and compressive strengths for the different compositions studied.

Strategies for Teaching the Reinforced Concrete Structures Course in Engineering Majors

The cultivation of engineering capabilities aims to equip engineering professionals with high-level expertise to meet the demands of society and industry development,thereby enhancing their competitiveness and career potential.This article focuses on engineering capability development,exploring teaching strategies for the Reinforced Concrete Structure course.It aims to provide insights for educators in engineering programs at universities and vocational colleges in China.By doing so,teaching plans that meet the needs of engineering capability development,laying a solid educational foundation for the healthy growth of engineering professionals in the new era,and enhancing their application of knowledge and skills can be developed.

A Carbonation and Chloride Induced Corrosion Model for Hot-dip Galvanised Reinforcement Bar Material in Concrete

This paper focuses on methodological issues relevant to corrosion risk prediction models.A model was developed for the prediction of corrosion rates associated with hot-dip galvanised reinforcement bar material in concrete exposed to carbonation and chlorides in outdoor environment.One-year follow-up experiments,over five years,were conducted at various carbonation depths and chloride contents.The observed dependence of corrosion rate on the depth of carbonation and chloride content is complex indicating that the interaction between the carbonation and chloride influencing the corrosion.A non-linear corrosion model was proposed with statistical analysis to model the relationship between the corrosion rate and the test parameters.The main methodological contributions are(i)the proposed modeling approach able to take into account the uncertain measurement errors including unobserved systematic and random heterogeneity over different measured specimens and correlation for the same specimen across different measuring times,which best suits the measurement data;(ii)the developed model in which an interaction parameter is introduced especially to account for the contribution and the degree of the unobserved carbonation-chloride interaction.The proposed model offers greater flexibility for the modelling of measurement data than traditional models.

Finite element model of reinforcement corrosion in concrete

A nonlinear finite element model （FEM） of the corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete has been successfully developed on the basis of mathematical analysis of the electrochemical process of steel corrosion in concrete. The influences of the area ratio and the Tafel constants of the anode and cathode on the potential and corrosion current density have been examined with the model. It has been found that the finite element calculation is more suitable for assessing the corrosion condition of steel reinforcement than ordinary electrochemical techniques due to the fact that FEM can obtain the distributions of potential and corrosion current density on the steel surface. In addition, the local corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete is strengthened with the decrease of both the area ratio and the Tafel constants. These results provide valuable information to the researchers who investigate steel corrosion.

Effect of Reinforcement Corrosion Sediment Distribution Characteristics on Concrete Damage Behavior

Reinforcement corrosion directly affects the mechanical behavior of reinforced concrete structures.An electric corrosion test was conducted on a reinforced concrete test specimen,and a finite element model of the reinforcement corrosion damage was established.In addition,the damage behavior of reinforced concrete under different corrosion sediment distribution characteristics and different corrosion rates was studied.It was noted that when corrosion sediments are in a“semiellipse+semicircle”distribution,the results of numerical calculation are consistent with those obtained experimentally,reflecting the damage characteristics of reinforced concrete test specimens.Further,the results showed that the distribution characteristics of corrosion sediments greatly influence the damage behavior of reinforced concrete.In particular,when the corrosion sediments demonstrate a“semiellipse”distribution,reinforced concrete members may easily suffer from reinforcement damages.In the case of“semiellipse+semicircle”and“circle”distributions,the cohesive force between the reinforcements and concrete decreases:With the same corrosion rate,the damaged area expands with the increase in the number of reinforcements,which indicates a reduction in the cohesive force and thus,a reduction in the damage in the reinforcement area.This paper analyzes in-depth the effects of reinforcement corrosion expansion on the concrete damage behavior,provides references for practical engineering.

The Effects of Degradation Phenomena of the Steel-Concrete Interface in Reinforced Concrete Structures

Reinforced concrete (RC) constructions are the innovation of sustainable constructions replacing masonry constructions. Despite this, the use of concrete and steel to improve the performance of structural members in service is a recurring problem due to the immediate or overtime appearance of cracks. The objective of this work was therefore to assess the damage phenomena of the steel-concrete interface in order to assess the performance of an RC structure. Samples of approximately 30 cm of reinforcement attacked by rust were taken from broken reinforced concrete columns and beams in order to determine the impact of corrosion on high adhesion steel (HA) and therefore on its ability to resist. The experimental results have shown that the corrosion degradation rates of reinforcing bars of different diameters increase as the diameter of the reinforcing bars decreases: 5% for HA12;23.75% for HA8 and 50% for HA6. Using the approach proposed by Mangat and Elgalf on the bearing capacity as a function of the progress of the corrosion phenomenon, these rates made it possible to assess the new fracture limits of corroded HA steels. For HA6 respectively HA8 and HA12, their initial limit resistances will decrease by 4/4, 3/4 and 1/4. Based on the results of this study and in order to guarantee their durability, an RC structure can be dimensioned by taking into account the effects of reinforcement corrosion.

Towards rapid and automated vulnerability classification of concrete buildings

With the overwhelming number of older reinforced concrete buildings that need to be assessed for seismic vulnerability in a city,local governments face the question of how to assess their building inventory.By leveraging engineering drawings that are stored in a digital format,a well-established method for classification reinforced concrete buildings with respect to seismic vulnerability,and machine learning techniques,we have developed a technique to automatically extract quantitative information from the drawings to classify vulnerability.Using this technique,stakeholders will be able to rapidly classify buildings according to their seismic vulnerability and have access to information they need to prioritize a large building inventory.The approach has the potential to have significant impact on our ability to rapidly make decisions related to retrofit and improvements in our communities.In the Los Angeles County alone it is estimated that several thousand buildings of this type exist.The Hassan index is adopted here as the method for automation due to its simple application during the classification of the vulnerable reinforced concrete buildings.This paper will present the technique used for automating information extraction to compute the Hassan index for a large building inventory.

Lead spall velocity of fragments of ultra-high-performance concrete slabs under partially embedded cylindrical charge-induced explosion

When an explosion occurs close to or partially within the face of a concrete structure, fragments are rapidly launched from the opposite face of the structure owing to concrete spalling, posing a significant risk to nearby personnel and equipment. To study the lead fragment velocity of ultra-high-performance concrete(UHPC), partially embedded explosion experiments were performed on UHPC slabs of limited thickness using a cylindrical trinitrotoluene charge. The launch angles and velocities of the resulting fragments were the determined using images collected by high-speed camera to document the concrete spalling and fragment launching process. The results showed that UHPC slabs without fiber reinforcement had a fragment velocity distribution of 0-118.3 m/s, which are largely identical to that for a normal-strength concrete(NSC) slab. In addition, the fragment velocity was negatively correlated to the angle between the velocity vector and vertical direction. An empirical Eq. for the lead spall velocity of UHPC and NSC slabs was then proposed based on a large volume of existing experimental data.

Damage of a large-scale reinforced concrete wall caused by an explosively formed projectile(EFP)

To quickly break through a reinforced concrete wall and meet the damage range requirements of rescuers entering the building,the combined damage characteristics of the reinforced concrete wall caused by EFP penetration and explosion shock wave were studied.Based on LS-DYNA finite element software and RHT model with modified parameters,a 3D large-scale numerical model was established for simulation analysis,and the rationality of the material model parameters and numerical simulation algorithm were verified.On this basis,the combined damage effect of EFP penetration and explosion shock wave on reinforced concrete wall was studied,the effect of steel bars on the penetration of EFP was highlighted,and the effect of impact positions on the damage of the reinforced concrete wall was also examined.The results reveal that the designed shaped charge can form a crater with a large diameter and high depth on the reinforced concrete wall.The average crater diameter is greater than 67 cm(5.58 times of charge diameter),and crater depth is greater than 22 cm(1.83 times of charge diameter).The failure of the reinforced concrete wall is mainly caused by EFP penetration.When only EFP penetration is considered,the average diameter and depth of the crater are 54.0 cm(4.50 times of charge diameter)and 23.7 cm(1.98 times of charge diameter),respectively.The effect of explosion shock wave on crater depth is not significant,resulting in a slight increase in crater depth.The average crater depth is 24.5 cm(2.04 times of charge diameter)when the explosion shock wave is considered.The effect of explosion shock wave on the crater diameter is obvious,which can aggravate the damage range of the crater,and the effect gradually decreases with the increase of standoff distance.Compared with the results for a plain concrete wall,the crater diameter and crater depth of the reinforced concrete wall are reduced by 5.94%and 9.96%,respectively.Compared to the case in which the steel bar is not hit,when the EFP hit one steel bar and the intersection of two steel bars,the crater diameter decreases by 1.36%and 5.45%respectively,the crater depth decreases by 4.92%and 14.02%respectively.The EFP will be split by steel bar during the penetration process,resulting in an irregular trajectory.

Experimental Study and Failure Criterion Analysis of Rubber Fibre Reinforced Concrete under Biaxial Compression-Compression

In order to examine the biaxial compression-compression properties of rubber fibre reinforced concrete(RFRC),an experimental study on RFRC under different lateral compressive stresses was carried out by considering different rubber replacement rates and polypropylene fibre contents.The failure modes and mechanical property parameters of different RFRC working conditions were obtained from the experiment to explore the effects of rubber replacement rate and polypropylene fibre content on the biaxial compression-compression properties of RFRC.The following conclusions were drawn.Under the influence of lateral compressive stress,the biaxial compression-compression failure mode gradually developed from a columnar pattern to a flaky pattern,suggesting that the incorporation of rubber and polypropylene fibres into the concrete resulted in a significant change in the development of cracks.For different rubber replacement rates and polypropylene fibre contents,the vertical compressive stress exhibited the same developing trend under the influence of lateral compressive stress.Specifically,the lateral compressive stress imposed the minimum effect on the vertical compressive stress when the rubber replacement rate and polypropylene fibre content were 20%and 0.4%,respectively,and imposed the maximum effect when the rubber replacement rate and polypropylene fibre content were 20%and 0%,respectively.With the increase of rubber replacement rate,the vertical peak stress was significantly reduced,which implies that an appropriate amount of polypropylene fibres can increase the vertical peak stress to a certain extent.Then,the biaxial compression-compression mechanism of RFRC was analysed from the microscopic level by using scanning electron microscope(SEM).Meanwhile,based on Kupfer’s biaxial compression-compression failure criterion and the octahedral stress space,a biaxial compression-compression failure criterion for RFRC was proposed,which was proven to have good applicability.The research results of this study provide important theoretical basis for the engineering application and development of RFRC.

Determination of Reflected Temperature in Active Thermography Measurements for Corrosion Quantification of Reinforced Concrete Elements

This paper sums up the determining analysis of the measuring location of Treflusing a thermocouple during the thermography tests.Laboratory temperature distribution testing methods,analysis of value and location of Treflmeasurement are explained in this paper.The heat source is two halogen lamps of 500 watts eachfitted at a distance of 30–50 cm.Noises appearing during testing of thermography are corrected with measured T_(refl) value.The results of thermogram correction of corroded concrete surfaces using T_(refl) values are displayed in this paper too.The concrete surface temperature results of quantitative image processing method are compared to the experimental test results.The results showed good accuracy,which was seen from most errors<3%and the maximum error is<5%.The end of paper,explained of application Treflvalue to the corroded reinforced concrete thermogram.

Mechanical Characterization of Rhecktophyllum Camerunense (RC) Fiber Reinforced Concrete

This work presents the development and mechanical characterization of a concrete reinforced with plant fiber extracted from Rhecktophyllum Camerunense (RC), a plant found in the regions of Center and South Cameroon. A comparative study between ordinary concrete and concrete reinforced with RC fiber at different percentages (0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) was carried out. The mechanical characterization of the material consisted in studying the flexural, compressive and splitting tensile strength by using cylindrical specimens of dimensions 160 × 320 in accordance with standards EN 12390-3 and EN 12390-6. The study of the mechanical properties was completed by the three-point bending test using prismatic test specimens of dimension 40 × 40 × 160 made according to the EN 196 standard. It emerges from this work that the addition of RC fiber improves the mechanical properties of concrete up to 0.2% with a peak at 0.1% of fiber corresponding to respective increases of 9%, 16% and 6% of the values of mechanical resistance to compression, flexion and tension after 28 days. From 0.3% of fiber, the values of the mechanical characteristics of the composite drop to values lower than those of ordinary concrete. The density reduction rate at 28 days is about 10% compared to the mass of ordinary concrete. These results allow us to conclude that the RC fiber could be valorized for the production of lightweight concrete.

A State-of-the-Art Review of Electrochemical Chloride Extraction for Concrete Structures

Electrochemical chloride extraction is a promising technique for the rehabilitation of concrete structures under chloride induced corrosion. This study consists of an extensive literature review of this treatment including application cases. It is found that the rate of chlorides removed is affected by the total charge passed, whereas increasing charge in a range between 1500 to 2000 Ah/m2 increases the amount of chlorides removed and this can be more effective by increasing current density instead of duration of treatment. Bound chlorides are extracted during treatment and, water works better than Ca(OH)2 as an electrolyte, possibly due to modifications on the concrete pore structure. Moreover, ECE is not efficient in repassivate structures but is efficient in its purpose of removing chlorides if treatment setup is well planned, which justifies the need for better international standards on the topic.

Effect of Steel Fiber on Concrete’s Compressive Strength

The general goal of this research is to investigate whether steel fiber has a significant “positive” or “negative” influence on concrete compressive strength, as well as the optimal steel fiber ratio that delivers best result. Manually, cement, fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, steel fibers, and water were mixed together properly. A slump test was carried on the mixed concrete. After determining the workability, the mixed concrete was poured into cubes dimension 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm and left for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the samples were removed from the mold and placed in a water tank to cure for 7 to 28 days. The cube was tested for compressive and flexural strength in a universal testing machine after the samples had cured for the required 7 - 28 days. This study focuses on how to obtain high strength concrete using with steel fiber in the Conventional mix ratio to enhance concrete strength. Concrete reinforcement using steel fibers alters the characteristics of the concrete, allowing it to withstand fracture and hence improve its mechanical qualities. This study reports on an experimental study that reveals the effect of steel fiber on concrete compressive strength and the optimal steel fiber ratio that produces the best results. Steel fiber reinforcing improved the compressive strength of concrete. The average compressive strength of normal M25 concrete with 0% steel fibers and curing ages of 7 and 28 days was determined to be 22.97 N/mm2 and 25.78 N/mm2, respectively. The steel fibers are then added in various concentrations, such as 1%, 2%, and 3%, with aspect ratios of 70. The compressive strength of concrete with 1%, 2%, and 3% steel fiber with an aspect ratio of 70 was examined at 7 days and found to be 23.96, 24.80, and 26.14 N/mm2 correspondingly.

Research on Technical Solutions to Renovate the Reinforced Concrete Constructions in Vietnam

During the use of constructions, they will be degraded. Due to the negative impact on structures such as increase in vertical load, horizontal windy load needs to evaluate the current state of the constructions before renovating, especially the current state of the main structural system whether necessary to carry out repair and reinforcement or not. In addition, the inspection of the current status constructions before renovating is also the legal basis for the granting of construction permits to renovate and repair degraded works. Reinforced concrete buildings in the coastal areas in Vietnam, in particular, are working in the marine environment leading to damage the reinforced concrete construction. It should be significantly noted. Although there have been legal documents related to the inspection of constructions issued in Vietnam, the detailed contents and procedures of institution for each type of construction have not been mentioned yet. Therefore, the topic research paper of “research on technical solutions to renovate constructions with reinforced concrete structures in Vietnam” is to improve the quality and efficiency of construction. This investigation in Vietnam is very essential. This study uses the method of surveying the current state of the construction works in use, using the experimental sampling method to analyze and evaluate the damage of the work, then propose typical solutions to repair construction. The purpose of this study is to provide a process to check the damage of the works, and to propose solutions to repair them. This work is very important and has practical significance, helping managers to maintain works better.