Title:
Impact of Corrosion on Mechanical Properties of Thermomechanically Treated Steel Bars
Author(s):
Sher Khan, Muhammad Masood Rafi, Humberto Varum, and Bruno Briseghella
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
123
Issue:
1
Appears on pages(s):
85-100
Keywords:
accelerated corrosion; corrosion level (CL); diameter loss (DL); residual strength; strain hardening; stress-strain curve; thermomechanically treated (TMT) bar.
DOI:
10.14359/51749252
Date:
1/1/2026
Abstract:
Corrosion in reinforcing steel bars is a critical factor influencing the durability and structural performance of reinforced concrete structures. This paper investigates the effects of corrosion on the mechanical properties of thermo-mechanically treated steel bars. The study parameters included bar diameter, corrosion technique, and varying corrosion levels (CLs). The impressed current technique was used to accelerate corrosion. Load-displacement data from uniaxial tensile tests were analyzed to determine stress-strain relationships of corroded bars. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the bars were unaffected by diameter or corrosion technique. However, a consistent reduction in both nominal yield strength and ultimate strength was observed with increasing CLs, while the elastic modulus remained unchanged. The strength factors for yield strength and ultimate strengths of the corroded bars varied in the range of 0.0013 to 0.015 and 0.0032 to 0.012, respectively, which were higher than reported in the literature. The fracture strain of the bars decreased at higher CLs. Predictive models were developed to estimate the residual mechanical properties, which are crucial for defining the constitutive relations needed to determine analytical stress-strain behavior. Analytical methods for determining these constitutive relations were also proposed, showing a good correlation with the experimental stress-strain curves.
Related References:
1. Du, Y. G.; Clark, L. A.; and Chan, A. H. C., “Residual Capacity of Corroded Reinforcing Bars,” Magazine of Concrete Research, V. 57, No. 3, Apr. 2005, pp. 135-147. doi: 10.1680/macr.2005.57.3.135
2. Rafi, M. M.; Nadjai, A.; Ali, F.; and Talamona, D., “Aspects of Behaviour of CFRP Reinforced Concrete Beams in Bending,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 22, No. 3, Mar. 2008, pp. 277-285. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2006.08.014
3. Yalciner, H., and Kumbasaroglu, A., “Experimental Evaluation and Modeling of Corroded Reinforced Concrete Columns,” ACI Structural Journal, V. 117, No. 4, July 2020, pp. 61-76. doi: 10.14359/51721372
4. Cairns, J.; Plizzari, G. A.; Du, Y.; Law, D. W.; and Franzoni, C., “Mechanical Properties of Corrosion-Damaged Reinforcement,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 102, No. 4, July-Aug. 2005, pp. 256-264.
5. Zhou, H.; Lu, J.; Xv, X.; Zhou, Y.; and Xing, F., “Experimental Study of Bond-Slip Performance of Corroded Reinforced Concrete Under Cyclic Loading,” Advances in Mechanical Engineering, V. 7, No. 3, Mar. 2015, pp. 1-10. doi: 10.1177/1687814015573787
6. Yalciner, H.; Eren, O.; and Sensoy, S., “An Experimental Study on the Bond Strength Between Reinforcement Bars and Concrete as a Function of Concrete Cover, Strength and Corrosion Level,” Cement and Concrete Research, V. 42, No. 5, May 2012, pp. 643-655. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2012.01.003
7. Zhou, H. J.; Liang, X. B.; Zhang, X. L.; Lu, J. L.; Xing, F.; and Mei, L., “Variation and Degradation of Steel and Concrete Bond Performance with Corroded Stirrups,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 138, May 2017, pp. 56-68. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.02.007
8. Wang, L.; Zhang, X.; Zhang, J.; Dai, L.; and Liu, Y., “Failure Analysis of Corroded PC Beams Under Flexural Load Considering Bond Degradation,” Engineering Failure Analysis, V. 73, Mar. 2017, pp. 11-24. doi: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2016.12.004
9. Ahmadi, M.; Kheyroddin, A.; and Kioumarsi, M., “Prediction Models for Bond Strength of Steel Reinforcement with Consideration of Corrosion,” Materials Today: Proceedings, V. 45, Part 6, 2021, pp. 5829-5834. doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.03.263
10. Ma, Y.; Guo, Z.; Wang, L.; and Zhang, J., “Experimental Investigation of Corrosion Effect on Bond Behavior Between Reinforcing Bar and Concrete,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 152, Oct. 2017, pp. 240-249. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.06.169
11. Zhang, X.; Wang, L.; Zhang, J.; and Liu, Y., “Model for Flexural Strength Calculation of Corroded RC Beams Considering Bond–Slip Behavior,” Journal of Engineering Mechanics, ASCE, V. 142, No. 7, July 2016, p. 04016038. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001079
12. Vu, K.; Stewart, M. G.; and Mullard, J., “Corrosion-Induced Cracking: Experimental Data and Predictive Models,” ACI Structural Journal, V. 102, No. 5, Sept.-Oct. 2005, pp. 719-726.
13. Taha, N. A., and Morsy, M., “Study of the Behavior of Corroded Steel Bar and Convenient Method of Repairing,” HBRC Journal, V. 12, No. 2, Aug. 2016, pp. 107-113.
14. Rafi, M. M.; Dahar, A. B.; Aziz, T.; and Lodi, S. H., “Residual Properties of Heat-Treated Thermomechanically Treated Steel Reinforcing Bars,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 118, No. 4, July 2021, pp. 15-26. doi: 10.14359/51732596
15. Imperatore, S., “Mechanical Properties Decay of Corroded Reinforcement in Concrete–An Overview,” Corrosion and Materials Degradation, V. 3, No. 2, June 2022, pp. 210-220. doi: 10.3390/cmd3020012
16. Du, Y. G.; Clark, L. A.; and Chan, A. H. C., “Effect of Corrosion on Ductility of Reinforcing Bars,” Magazine of Concrete Research, V. 57, No. 7, Sept. 2005, pp. 407-419. doi: 10.1680/macr.2005.57.7.407
17. Fernandez, I.; Bairán, J. M.; and Marí, A. R., “Corrosion Effects on the Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Bars. Fatigue and σ–ε Behavior,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 101, Part 1, Dec. 2015, pp. 772-783. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.10.139
18. Lee, H.-S., and Cho, Y.-S., “Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Steel Reinforcement Embedded in Concrete Specimen as a Function of the Degree of Reinforcement Corrosion,” International Journal of Fracture, V. 157, No. 1-2, May 2009, pp. 81-88. doi: 10.1007/s10704-009-9334-7
19. Ahmed, G. H.; Jumaa, G. B.; Askandar, N. H.; and Ali, A. S., “Degradation Mechanisms and Residual Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Bars Exposed to Natural and Artificial Corrosion – Review & Analysis,” Polytechnic Journal, V. 12, No. 2, 2022, pp. 70-84. doi: 10.25156/ptj.v12n2y2022.pp70-84
20. Bari, M. N., and Mohshin, M., “Relationship Between Rate of Corrosion of TMT Bars and Quality of Electrolyte in Electrochemical Corrosion Process,” Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Advances in Civil Engineering (ICACE 2022), S. Arthur, M. Saitoh, and A. Hoque, eds., Springer, Singapore, 2024, pp. 337-346. doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-3826-1_28
21. Shetty, A.; Venkataramana, K.; Gogoi, I.; and Praveen, B. B., “Performance Enhancement of TMT Rebar in Accelerated Corrosion,” Journal of Civil Engineering Research, V. 2, No. 1, 2012, pp. 14-17. doi: 10.5923/j.jce.20120201.03
22. Islam, M. A., “Corrosion Behaviours of High Strength TMT Steel Bars for Reinforcing Cement Concrete Structures,” Procedia Engineering, V. 125, 2015, pp. 623-630. doi: 10.1016/j.proeng.2015.11.084
23. Bautista, A.; Pomares, J. C.; González, M. N.; and Velasco, F., “Influence of the Microstructure of TMT Reinforcing Bars on Their Corrosion Behavior in Concrete with Chlorides,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 229, Dec. 2019, Article No. 116899. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.116899
24. Haris, N., and Gadve, S., “Mechanical Properties of Reinforcing Steel Bars Corroded at Different Levels,” ACI Materials Journal, V. 118, No. 4, July 2021, pp. 109-120. doi: 10.14359/51732795
25. Rafi, M. M.; Dahar, A. B.; and Aziz, T., “High Temperature Mechanical Properties of Steel Bars Available in Pakistan,” Journal of Structural Fire Engineering, V. 9, No. 3, Oct. 2018, pp. 203-221. doi: 10.1108/JSFE-06-2017-0035
26. Rafi, M. M.; Dahar, A. B.; Aziz, T.; and Lodi, S. H., “Elevated Temperature Testing of Thermomechanically Treated Steel Bars,” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, ASCE, V. 32, No. 6, June 2020, p. 04020145. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003202
27. ASTM E8/E8M-15a, “Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials,” ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2015, 29 pp.
28. Marcus, P., ed., Corrosion Mechanisms in Theory and Practice, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2017.
29. Bockris, J. O’M., and Reddy, A. K. N., Volume 1: Modern Electrochemistry: Ionics, second edition, Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York, 2002.
30. Feng, W.; Tarakbay, A.; Memon, S. A.; Tang, W.; and Cui, H., “Methods of Accelerating Chloride-Induced Corrosion in Steel-Reinforced Concrete: A Comparative Review,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 289, June 2021, Article No. 123165. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123165
31. Liang, Y., and Wang, L., “Uncertain Factors Relating to the Prediction of Corrosion-Induced Cracking of Concrete Cover,” Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology, V. 18, No. 11, Nov. 2020, pp. 699-715. doi: 10.3151/jact.18.699
32. El Maaddawy, T. A., and Soudki, K. A., “Effectiveness of Impressed Current Technique to Simulate Corrosion of Steel Reinforcement in Concrete,” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, ASCE, V. 15, No. 1, Feb. 2003, pp. 41-47. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2003)15:1(41)
33. Fu, C.; Fang, D.; Ye, H.; Huang, L.; and Wang, J., “Bond Degradation of Non-Uniformly Corroded Steel Rebars in Concrete,” Engineering Structures, V. 226, Jan. 2021, Article No. 111392. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111392
34. Syll, A. S., and Kanakubo, T., “Impact of Corrosion on the Bond Strength between Concrete and Rebar: A Systematic Review,” Materials, V. 15, No. 19, Oct. 2022, Article No. 7016. doi: 10.3390/ma15197016
35. Chung, L.; Cho, S.-H.; Kim, J.-H. J.; and Yi, S.-T., “Correction Factor Suggestion for ACI Development Length Provisions Based on Flexural Testing of RC Slabs with Various Levels of Corroded Reinforcing Bars,” Engineering Structures, V. 26, No. 8, July 2004, pp. 1013-1026. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2004.01.008
36. Andrade, C., “Propagation of Reinforcement Corrosion: Principles, Testing and Modelling,” Materials and Structures, V. 52, No. 1, Feb. 2019, Article No. 2. doi: 10.1617/s11527-018-1301-1
37. Molaioni, F.; Di Carlo, F.; and Rinaldi, Z., “Modelling Strategies for the Numerical Simulation of the Behaviour of Corroded RC Columns under Cyclic Loads,” Applied Sciences, V. 11, No. 20, Oct. 2021, Article No. 9761. doi: 10.3390/app11209761
38. Gao, Z., “Corrosion Damage of Reinforcement Embedded in Reinforced Concrete Slab,” doctoral dissertation, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, 2016, 174 pp.
39. Stein, K. J., and Graeff, Â. G., “Experimental Analysis on the Combined Effects of Corrosion and Fatigue in Reinforced Concrete Beams,” Ambiente Construído, V. 19, No. 3, July-Sept. 2019, pp. 69-81. doi: 10.1590/s1678-86212019000300325
40. Ballim, Y., and Reid, J. C., “Reinforcement Corrosion and the Deflection of RC Beams—An Experimental Critique of Current Test Methods,” Cement and Concrete Composites, V. 25, No. 6, Aug. 2003, pp. 625-632. doi: 10.1016/S0958-9465(02)00076-8
41. Darmawan, M. S., “Pitting Corrosion Model for Reinforced Concrete Structures in a Chloride Environment,” Magazine of Concrete Research, V. 62, No. 2, Feb. 2010, pp. 91-101. doi: 10.1680/macr.2008.62.2.91
42. Malumbela, G.; Moyo, P.; and Alexander, M., “Longitudinal Strains and Stiffness of RC Beams Under Load as Measures of Corrosion Levels,” Engineering Structures, V. 35, Feb. 2012, pp. 215-227. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2011.11.021
43. Malumbela, G.; Alexander, M.; and Moyo, P., “Variation of Steel Loss and Its Effect on the Ultimate Flexural Capacity of RC Beams Corroded and Repaired Under Load,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 24, No. 6, June 2010, pp. 1051-1059. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2009.11.012
44. Almusallam, A. A.; Al-Gahtani, A. S.; Aziz, A. R.; and Rasheeduzzafar, “Effect of Reinforcement Corrosion on Bond Strength,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 10, No. 2, Mar. 1996, pp. 123-129. doi: 10.1016/0950-0618(95)00077-1
45. Luo, X.; Cheng, J.; Xiang, P.; and Long, H., “Seismic Behavior of Corroded Reinforced Concrete Column Joints Under Low-Cyclic Repeated Loading,” Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, V. 20, No. 2, June 2020, Article No. 40. doi: 10.1007/s43452-020-00043-z
46. ASTM G1-90(1999)e1, “Standard Practice for Preparing, Cleaning, and Evaluating Corrosion Test Specimens,” ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 1999, 8 pp.
47. ASTM A615/A615M-22, “Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain Carbon-Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement,” ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2022, 8 pp.
48. Rafi, M. M.; Lodi, S. H.; and Nizam, A., “Chemical and Mechanical Properties of Steel Rebars Manufactured in Pakistan and Their Design Implications,” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, ASCE, V. 26, No. 2, Feb. 2014, pp. 338-348. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000812
49. Imperatore, S.; Rinaldi, Z.; and Drago, C., “Degradation Relationships for the Mechanical Properties of Corroded Steel Rebars,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 148, Sept. 2017, pp. 219-230. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.04.209
50. ACI Committee 318, “Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19) and Commentary (ACI 318R-19) (Reapproved 2022),” American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2019, 624 pp.
51. EN 1990:2002 (E), “Eurocode - Basis of Structural Design,” European Committee for Standardization, Brussels, Belgium, 2002, 87 pp.
52. Rafi, M. M., and Khan, M. S., “Assessment of Use of Steel Bars with Unintended High Strength in Tied Columns,” ACI Structural Journal, V. 121, No. 5, Sept. 2024, pp. 65-76. doi: 10.14359/51740852
53. Almusallam, A. A., “Effect of Degree of Corrosion on the Properties of Reinforcing Steel Bars,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 15, No. 8, Dec. 2001, pp. 361-368. doi: 10.1016/S0950-0618(01)00009-5
54. Bertolini, L.; Elsener, B.; Pedeferri, P.; and Polder, R. B., Corrosion of Steel in Concrete: Prevention, Diagnosis, Repair, Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, Germany, 2004.
55. Huang, H.; Jia, C.; and Guo, L., “Effect of Local Corrosion on Tensile Behavior of Steel Plates,” Structures, V. 43, Sept. 2022, pp. 977-989. doi: 10.1016/j.istruc.2022.07.027
56. Tariq, F., and Bhargava, P., “Stress–Strain Curves and Mechanical Properties of Corrosion Damaged Super Ductile Reinforcing Steel,” Structures, V. 33, Oct. 2021, pp. 1532-1543.
57. fib, “fib Model Code for Concrete Structures (2020),” International Federation for Structural Concrete, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2024, 780 pp.
58. Ray, A.; Mukerjee, D.; Sen, S. K.; Bhattacharya, A.; Dhua, S. K.; Prasad, M. S.; Banerjee, N.; Popli, A. M.; and Sahu, A. K., “Microstructure and Properties of Thermomechanically Strengthened Reinforcement Bars: A Comparative Assessment of Plain-Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Grades,” Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, V. 6, No. 3, June 1997, pp. 335-343. doi: 10.1007/s11665-997-0098-9
59. Ou, Y.-C.; Susanto, Y. T. T.; and Roh, H., “Tensile Behavior of Naturally and Artificially Corroded Steel Bars,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 103, Jan. 2016, pp. 93-104. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.10.075
60. Uthaman, S.; George, R. P.; Vishwakarma, V.; Harilal, M.; and Philip, J., “Enhanced Seawater Corrosion Resistance of Reinforcement in Nanophase Modified Fly Ash Concrete,” Construction and Building Materials, V. 221, Oct. 2019, pp. 232-243. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.06.070
61. EN 1992-1-2:2004, “Eurocode 2: Design of Concrete Structures - Part 1-2: General Rules - Structural Fire Design,” European Committee for Standardization, Brussels, Belgium, 2004, 99 pp.