Influence of longitudinal bar corrosion on impact behavior of RC beams

To investigate the influence of longitudinal bar corrosion on impact behavior of RC beams, four RC beam specimens with varied corrosion rate were tested under falling-weight, impacting the specimens at the mid-span. Four corresponding specimens were also tested under static loads to determine their static properties and behavior. Reinforcement was corroded by means of immersing the specimens in 3 % sodium chloride solution and applying a current density of 3 mA/cm2. The test results indicate that corrosion of longitudinal bars decreases the impact force and reaction force, and increases mid-span displacement of RC beams under impact load and the beam’s capacity of absorbing energy. Corrosion-induced cracks in concrete have been shown as the most relevant damages in the tested beams. All specimens, regardless of their corrosion rate, failed in shear-critical mode and presented severe diagonal shear cracks under the impact point.