Experimental Investigation and Numerical Analysis on Stiffness Degradation of High-Performance Steel Beams with Local Shear-Span Corrosion

Stiffness degradation of high-performance steel (HPS) beams with local shear-span corrosion is studied by experimental investigation and numerical analysis. Six beams subjected to various level of local corrosion damage are designed. 3D scanning technology is employed to analyze the geometric features affected by the corrosion damage. Flexural tests are carried out, and the effect of the local corrosion on the stiffness degradation is analyzed. Numerical models considering corrosion characteristics are established. By using the FEA models, parametric analysis is carried out to investigate the impact of different damaged positions and thicknesses on the stiffness degradation. Results show that the local corrosion within the shear span has an obvious adverse effect on the stiffness of the beam, especially for the open-hole steel beam caused by heavy corrosion. The degradation caused by corrosion near the support is greater than that near the loading point. When the thickness decreases by 30%, the stiffness has an obvious degradation.