Modelling the Deformation of Steel-bars in Reinforced Concrete Beams Submerged in Lagoon
Abstract
Corrosion of steel and spalling of concrete in reinforced concrete elements have become a common occurrence in structures that are built around marine environment. This research investigated the effect of chloride on the steel in reinforced concrete beams. Mechanical tests such as; compressive, flexural and bond strengths were done on replicate concrete elements which were cast and buried for a maximum of one year in the Lagos lagoon. Twenty-four number of 150 mm x 150 mm x 600 mm sized reinforced concrete beams were cast for the flexural strength test, while forty-eight concrete cubes were cast for both compressive and bond strength tests, samples were cured in both lagoon and fresh water (The fresh water is for the control). A finite element program, ANSYS was used to model the deformation (deflection) of the steel reinforcement in the beams. Results showed a general reduction in compressive, flexural and bond strengths for the concrete samples buried in the lagoon, while those buried in freshwater showed an increase in strength as the concrete ages. The modelled results of the reinforcement showed a one-year deformation rate (r = 0.0181) in the steel of concrete buried in lagoon water. This value was used to estimate the future and past deformation values of these reinforcements due to chloride attack.
In accordance with the Copyright Act of 1976, which became effective January 1, 1978, the following statement signed by each author must accompany the manuscript submitted: "I, the undersigned author, transfer all copyright ownership of the manuscript referenced above to the Nigerian Journal of Technological Development, in the event the work is published. I warrant that the article is original, does not infringe upon any copyright or other proprietary right of any third party, is not under consideration by another journal, and has not been published previously. I have reviewed and approve the submitted version of the manuscript and agree to its publication in the Nigerian Journal of Technological Development." A copyright transfer form may be downloaded from the NJTD Website (http://njtd.com.ng/index.php/njtd). Author(s) will be consulted, whenever possible, regarding republication of material. All authors must have access to the data presented and the authors and sponsor (if applicable) must agree to share original data with the editor if requested.
