Development of engineering assessment method for anchorage in reinforced concrete

There is an increasing need for reliable methods to assess load-carrying capacity and remaining service life of existing infrastructure. Several previous research projects have resulted in a verified, simple 1D model for assessment of anchorage in corroded reinforced concrete structures. Current research aims to extend the 1D model to comprise more practical situations. To verify the 1D model for various cases appearing in practice, such as multiple layers and bundled reinforcement, 3D analyses were carried out. The size of 3D NLFE models required to capture the bond behaviour between corroded reinforcement and concrete is investigated, this to enable efficient analyses. Beam-end models and models of sub-sections with varying sizes and boundary conditions were studied, and the results in terms of bond stress and crack pattern compared. Good agreement was found for several section models; however the choice of boundary conditions largely influence the results and can lead to overestimation of the capacity.