An experimental and numerical study of the pattern of cracking of concrete due to steel reinforcement corrosion

In this work, cracking of concrete due to steel reinforcement corrosion is experimentally and numerically studied. The tests combined accelerated corrosion—to generate the cracks—with impregnation under vacuum with resin containing fluorescein—to enhance their visibility under ultraviolet light. In parallel, a model—called expansive joint element—was developed to simulate the expansion of the oxide and finite elements with an embedded adaptable cohesive crack were used to describe concrete cracking. The results show that a good agreement exists between the experimental and numerical crack patterns, which constitutes promising progress towards a comprehensive understanding of corrosion-induced cracking in reinforced concrete.

Experimental validation of a fracture model for pearlitic steel bars based on the cohesive zone model

Steel is, together with concrete, the most widely used material in civil engineering works. Not only its high strength, but also its ductility is of special interest, since it allows for more energy to be stored before failure. A better understanding of the material behaviour before failure may lead to better structural safety strategies.

Fracture micromechanisms and residual stresses of a highly resistant duplex stainless steel

The paper presents some preliminary results of an ongoing research intended to qualify a highly resistant duplex stainless steel wire as prestressing steel and, gets on insight on (he wires' fracture micromechanism and residual stresses field. SEM fractographic analysis of the stainless steel wires indicates an anisotropic fracture behavior in tension, in presence of surface flaws, attributed to the residual stresses generated through the fabrication process. The residual stresses magnitude influences the damage tolerance, its knowledge being a key issue in designating/qualifying the wires as prestressing steels.

Effect of Thermal Relaxation on LSP Induced Residual Stresses and Fatigue Life Enhancement of AISI 316L stainless steel

Effect of Thermal Relaxation on LSP Induced Residual Stresses and Fatigue Life Enhancement of AISI 316L stainless steel