A three-dimensional steel/concrete interface model including corrosion effects

This paper presents a new constitutive law for modelling the steel/concrete interface by including main corrosion effects. A three-dimensional formulation has been proposed based on continuum damage mechanics. The theoretical framework of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes has been applied in order to guarantee the respect of both conservation and evolution principles. Results are presented in order to point out the main features of the proposed model. The identification of material parameters, one of the major points when invoking this model, is detailed. In order to show its efficiency, pull-out tests with and without the presence of corrosion have been simulated. The effects of corrosion on failure loads are clearly in accordance with experimental results. A qualitative comparison between the damage pattern and the experimental crack path due to corrosion is also included in the paper.