Structural behaviour of concrete beam under electrochemical chloride extraction against a chloride-bearing environment

Abstract

The present study concerns a removal of chloride ions and structural behaviour of concrete beam at electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE). The electrochemical properties included 1000 mA/m2 current density for 2, 4 and 8 weeks. It was found that an increase in the duration of ECE resulted in an increase in the extraction rate of chlorides, in the range of 35-85%, irrespective of chloride contamination. In structural behaviour, the strength and maximum bending moment of specimen was always lowered by ECE. Moreover, the flexural rigidity and bending stiffness were reduced by the loss of effective cross-section area in the linear elastic range. Simultaneously, the inertia moment was substantially subjected to 70% loss of the cross-section by the tensile strain at the condition of the failure. However, a lower rate of the inertia moment reduction was achieved by ECE, implying the higher resistance to the cracking, but the higher risk of deformation.