Title:
Residual Flexural and Shear Capacity of Corroded Reinforced-Concrete Beams (Prepublished)
Author(s):
Miguel Anaya-Díaz, Andrés A. Torres-Acosta, Beatriz Martín-Pérez, Saúl E. Crespo-Sánchez, Francisco J. Carrión-Viramontes, Juan A. Quintana-Rodríguez
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
corrosion; durability; flexure capacity; shear capacity
DOI:
10.14359/51750684
Date:
4/23/2026
Abstract:
Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are fundamental to global infrastructure, but their durability and load-bearing capacity are significantly affected by reinforcing steel corrosion. This study compiles and statistically analyzes an extensive database of experimental results from RC beams with varying levels of flexural and shear corrosion damage. Results show that capacity loss is mainly governed by the geometric reduction of steel reinforcement, with strong agreement between theoretical predictions based on residual diameters and experimental data. Simplified correction coefficients (0.81 for flexure and 0.88 for shear) are proposed to reliably estimate residual capacity using straightforward formulations. The models reduce data scatter compared to existing approaches and remain robust even when only geometric parameters or visual and non-destructive measurements are available. Additionally, the relationship between corrosion-induced cracking and reinforcement deterioration is examined, highlighting crack width as a preliminary indicator that should be used with caution due to its dependence on multiple influencing parameters.