Structural performance of corroded RC beams without shear reinforcement

In this paper, a total of eight medium-scale RC beams with the dimensions of 150×200×1100 mm were fabricated without shear reinforcements. These beams were subjected to an accelerated corrosion test and then to a four-point loading shear test. The key test variables were various degrees of corrosion introduced in the tension reinforcements (0 %, 3.13 %, 4.11 %, and 4.93 % by mass loss). Even though all tested beams collapsed in shear failure, corroded beams exposed to 3 % and 4 % corrosion degrees showed a clear upward trend of approximately 7 % of maximum capacity compared to control beams. In contrast, corroded beams having a 5 % corrosion degree showed a 10 % decrease in shear strength with distinguished cracking patterns and load-carrying mechanism because of the significant loss of bond strength due to corrosion. Furthermore, a finite element model (FEM) for the prediction of structural performance in tested beams was produced using DIANA software. This model was verified by the experimental results (e.g. load-deflection curves, cracking patterns) with good agreement. Lastly, the parametric study of different shear span-to-depth ratios was also conducted to examine the FEM capability in simulating different behavior associated with beam and tie-arched mechanisms.