Effects of spatial corrosion distribution and prestressing levels on the structural performance of deteriorated PC beams

This paper aims to study the effects of spatial corrosion distribution and prestressing levels on the structural performance of corroded prestressed concrete (PC) beams via experimental studies. X-ray and digital image processing techniques are developed to visualize and quantify the spatial corrosion of strands in PC beams. The spatial characteristics of strand corrosion and its effect on the structural performance of PC beams are compared with those of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Unlike RC beams showing more ductile behavior, the load-bearing capacity and ductility of the corroded PC beams are determined by the maximum local steel weight loss of an individual steel wire in the maximum bending moment region. The prestress force induces larger local maxima of steel corrosion and widens corrosion-induced cracks by elevating the concrete tensile strain in the transverse direction.