Quantitative Assessment of Strengthening Strategies and Design Recommendations for the Repair of Corrosion-Damaged Reinforced Concrete Members

Abstract

Maintenance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures has become a global issue due to the problems associated with the corrosion of steel reinforcement. Corrosion of RC structures results in severe serviceability and strength issues, which in turn necessitates major repair works. Though it is difficult to eliminate the risk of corrosion in RC structures, appropriate retrofitting procedures can be implemented to restore the lost strength. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the mechanism of corrosion in RC members and the procedure for retrofitting corrosion-damaged RC members subjected to different loading conditions. Moreover, the efficiency of existing strengthening techniques, such as steel jacketing, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, engineered cementitious composites (ECCs), ferrocement jacketing, fabric-reinforced cementitious composites (FRCMs) and ultra-high-toughness cementitious composites (UHTCCs), are evaluated and compared in relation to restoring/enhancing the performance of corrosion-damaged RC members under different loading scenarios. Moreover, the paper provides a detailed comparison of the effects of different parameters governing the corrosion mechanism and suggests suitable design recommendations for improving the overall performance of corrosion-damaged RC members.