CONCRETE BEAMS
Failure probability of reinforced concrete beams
B. TEPL, D. NOVK, Z. KERNER and W. LAWANWISUT
Technical University of Brno, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Institute of Structural
Mechanics, Brno, Czech Republic
Abstract
For a specific reinforced concrete beam the depassivation of reinforcement is assessed
and a consequent corrosion process in time is evaluated using the available numerical
models. The cross-section of a beam is analyzed using the layer approach. Division
into layers enables us the efficient modelling of the carbonation process and the
consequent corrosion of reinforcement. The influence of deterioration on failure
probability is assessed.
Keywords: Bayesian updating, carbonation of concrete, corrosion of reinforcement,
deterioration, failure probability, importance sampling, reliability
Introduction
2.1
Carbonation of concrete
The model of time-dependent carbonation depth xc of ordinary Portland cement
(OPC) concrete by Papadakis et al. (1992) is used. This computational model is based
on the mass conservation of CO2, Ca(OH)2 and CSH (hydrated calcium silicate) in any
control volume of the concrete mass. The simplified carbonation depth formula for
OPC concrete is expressed here as:
w
0.3
f ( RH )
xc = 0.35 c c
w
1 + c
1000 c
1 + c w + c a cCO 22.410 6 t
1000 c c 2 44
(1)
where xc is the carbonation depth (mm) for time t (years), c, a are the mass density
(kg/m3) of cement and aggregates, resp., w/c, a/c are the water/cement,
aggregate/cement ratio, resp., RH is the ambient relative humidity, cCO2 is CO2 content
in atmosphere (mg/m3), a is the aggregate unit content. In the original formulation
(Papadakis et al. 1992) the model for high values of RH does not provide satisfactory
results. This has been overcome by implementing the step-wise linear relationship
f(RH) extracted from experiments reported by Matouek (1997), see also Novk et al.
(1996).
A total of 11 variables (see details in Table 1) are involved in this model, and in
some cases not all appropriate information is available. Therefore, a simpler model
may be useful. For this purpose the model by Bob (1996) seems to be appropriate:
xc = 150
Ckd
(2)
fc
Corrosion of reinforcement
An accurate and reasonably general computational model for corrosion of
depassivated steel bars embedded in concrete is still missing. Note that both the
uniform and pitting type of corrosion should be modelled. Presently the models used
e.g. by Andrade et al. (1996); Rodriguez et al. (1996) and Stewart and Rosowsky
(1998) seems to be sufficient for the prediction of uniform corrosion. The formula for
the time related rebar diameter decrease is as follows:
Di
D (t ) = Di 0.116icorr (t Ti )
0
t Ti
Ti < t Ti + ( Di / 0.116icorr )
(3)
t > Ti + ( Di / 0.116icorr )
where Di is the initial bar diameter (mm), Ti is the time to initiation (years) (i.e.
depassivation) and icorr is the current density (normally expressed in A/cm2).
Parameter expresses the type of corrosion. For homogenous corrosion is equal 2,
however, when a localized corrosion (pitting) occurs may reach values up to 8 (see
Rodriguez et al. 1996).
Computational model
3.1
Nonlinear analysis
The codes give approximate expressions for computing the ultimate flexural
resistance of reinforced concrete sections. In order to make the computation more
accurate a simple method that satisfies equilibrium and compatibility is utilized. The
reinforced concrete section is divided into layers, each layer is considered to be in a
state of uniaxial tension or compression. Maximum strains are considered initially,
then stresses in layers (both concrete and reinforcement) are computed using the
idealized stress-strain diagrams given in Fig. 1. By iterative algorithm equilibrium is
checked resulting in an ultimate bending moment Mu. This layered approach is also
suitable for modelling the deterioration.
fy
s
c
a)
Fig. 1: Stress-strain diagrams: a) concrete; b) reinforcing steel.
b)
3.2
(4)
and is a function of time t, model uncertainty factor and m random variables. Note
that the decrease of Mu(X,t) is strong when t > Ti. A beam is considered to be safe if:
g(X,t) > 0
(5)
For the purpose of the present study the load action M is taken as a deterministic
value. This arrangement enables us to predict the structural life-time of deteriorating
structure for a prescribed load level.
Reliability analysis
pf = P(g(X,t) 0)
(6)
and can be evaluated at several time points ti (i = 1, 2,..., n). The increase of failure
probability in time can be estimated here by advanced simulation techniques e.g.
importance sampling (Bourgund and Bucher, 1986).
5.1
General remarks
A particular storage building structure is composed of prefabricated RC units.
The study is focused on the roof beam where the carbonation depth was investigated
in-situ in several positions (the age being 11 years). The cross-section of the beam is
shown in Fig. 2.
B1=0.30 m
H1=0.15 m
H=1.25 m
B2=0.15 m
Fig. 2: Critical cross-section with reinforcing bars.
5.2
Random variables
In-situ investigation also provided other values of several input variables and
their statistical parameters; some other parameters were gained by engineering
judgement. All of them are summarized in Table 1.
5.3
deviation of 1.2 mm were obtained, and the Bayesian updating (see e.g. Novk et al.
1996) of the xc evaluation in time could be assessed. Based on this new xc-t function
also an updated pf -t curve could be computed. The comparison of a prior and posterior
pf -time curves is shown in Fig. 5, the latter curve being more accurate as the utilization
of in-situ measurements takes into account the effect of local conditions. This cannot
be accounted for by a general analytical model itself. Such updated pf -time curves
make it possible to gain a more reliable prediction of the structural life-time.
Table 1: Basic random variables.
Variable
Symb.
Unit
Mean
COV
(%)
0.1
0.15
1
N
3
mg/m
800
N
cCO2
Relative humidity
RH
0.85
0.1
N
Unit content of cement
c
kg
291
0.02
LN
Unit content of water
w
kg
189
0.01
LN
Unit content of sand
kg
853
0.015
LN
variability of geometrical and material characteristics only. Also the influence of two
different models for the carbonation process was studied. The curves in Fig. 6 indicate
only negligible effects in this particular beam. A more serious degradation effect is the
pitting corrosion. Using the same approach also the influence of a type of corrosion on
the probability of failure was studied - as it can be observed in Fig. 7. The results are
only indicative as the pitting process is strongly uncertain and is often started due to
the chlorides attack.
80
1E
70
1E
1E
60
1E
1E
1E
50 0
25
50
75
100
Time (years)
Fig. 3: Failure probability vs. time for different levels of bending moments
(carbonation model by Papadakis and homogenous corrosion)
1.E-02
1.E-03
1.E-04
1.E-05
1.E-06
1.E-07
500 kNm
600 kNm
700 kNm
1.E-08
0
25
50
75
Time (years)
100
1.E-03
Prior
Posterior
1.E-04
1.E-05
a)
1.E-06
0
20
1.E-01
60
80
100
Time (years)
Prior
40
Posterior
1.E-02
1.E-03
1.E-04
1.E-05
b)
1.E-06
0
20
40
60
80
100
Time (years)
Fig. 5: Bayesian updating of pf (carbonation model by Papadakis and M= 600
kNm): a) homogenous corrosion; b) pitting corrosion
6
Conclusions
1.E-03
Papadakis
Bob
1.E-04
1.E-05
1.E-06
0
25
50
75
100
Time (years)
Fig. 6: Influence of carbonation model (homogenous corrosion and M= 600 kNm)
1.E-01
Pitting
Homogenous
1.E-02
1.E-03
1.E-04
1.E-05
1.E-06
0
25
50
75
100
Time (years)
Fig. 7: Influence of type of corrosion - homogenous (
= 2) and pitting (
= 6)
(carbonation model by Papadakis and M=600 kNm)
Acknowledgement
The research was funded under grant No. 103/97/K003 from the Grant Agency of
the Czech Republic. The authors thank for this funding.
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