Title:
Impact Resistance of Flexible Shed Tunnel with Corrosion Damage (Prepublished)
Author(s):
Lizhuoyuan Chen, Chengqing Liu, and Ying Ma
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
corrosion damage; finite element simulation; flexible shed tunnel; impact resistance; rockfall impact
DOI:
10.14359/51751786
Date:
6/5/2026
Abstract:
As key protective structures in mountainous areas, flexible shed tunnels are susceptible to corrosion due to long-term environmental exposure, which significantly compromises their impact resistance. Most existing studies focus on uncorroded conditions, neglecting the effects of actual corrosion. This paper investigates the mechanical degradation of key components under different corrosion rates and distribution patterns using finite element simulations. The results show that with increasing corrosion, the bearing capacity, stiffness, and ductility of key components decrease significantly. At 30% corrosion, performance degradation exceeds 50%, with minimal difference between uniform and random corrosion models. Structural analysis reveals that beyond 20% corrosion, energy dissipation shifts from dissipators to rigid components, and total energy absorption drops below 40% at 30% corrosion, accompanied by brittle failure of components. The 20 to 30% corrosion range is identified as the critical stage for structural failure, providing a basis for the safety evaluation and maintenance of corrosion-affected flexible shed tunnels.