A simplified methodology for the evaluation of the residual life of corroded elements

Steel corrosion is one of the most common causes of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. In fact, the chemical attack causes cracking in the concrete and a number of related effects that weaken the capacity of the composite, as well as reducing the cross-section of the rebars. It is therefore extremely valuable to have methods targeted to the evaluation of the structural damage induced by corrosion for estimating the residual load bearing capacity of a structure, and then for planning the maintenance interventions. The aim of this paper is the development of a simplified methodology capable of providing conservative estimates of the residual life of corroded structures. Because of the great amount of results obtained by the authors, general relationships between the corrosion level and the residual strength and ductility of beams are derived, and their evolution is predicted using conventional deterioration models. The methodology proposed is validated using experimental results from literature