Seismic Performance of Corroded Precast Reinforced Concrete Columns with Intentional Debonding

Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) has emerged as a faster method of bridge construction. Reinforced concrete (RC) columns in bridges constructed using ABC methods remain vulnerable to corrosion, which impacts their performance during large earthquakes. Three specimens were constructed using ABC methods to investigate the effects of corrosion; two of these specimens were subjected to accelerated corrosion procedures to simulate moderate and severe corrosion levels. The longitudinal steel bars experienced 11% and 24% mass loss, while the steel spirals experienced 18% and 40% mass loss for moderately and severely corroded specimens, respectively. The severely corroded specimen experienced buckling of longitudinal bars at 5.0% drift ratio. Corrosion severity impacted column displacement capacity; the first reinforcing bar fractured at lower drift ratios in the corroded specimens, both of which experienced reduced displacement ductility and hysteretic energy dissipation. The importance of considering corrosion in evaluating seismic performance of RC bridges constructed using ABC methods is demonstrated.