CAPACITY LOSS DUE TO CORROSION IN STEEL-GIRDER BRIDGES

INTRODUCTION
Corrosion is a natural process which reduce the strength of member. The primary
cause of corrosion is the accumulation of water and salt or structure located in marine and
coastal areas. The source of water and salt is either from deck leakage, from the accumulation
of road spray and condensation and sources also defines the intensity and pattern of
corrosion.
Deterioration of steel bridges due to corrosion is the major problem for the reduction in
load carrying capacity of steel- girder bridges. It is very important to determine the actual
strength, load carrying capacity and remaining life of existing structures, which can be done by
the analysis of corroded steel bridges of deteriorated model. The capacity loss depends on the
location and rate of corrosion and load carrying capacity is determined with regard to bending,
shear and bearing. Effect of corrosion may change over time and this change is depends upon
relative thickness of the girder web and flange.

FORMS OF CORROSION AND CORROSION PATTERNS

The energy being stored in metals during manufacturing is used to deteriorate or corrode
the refined metal and nature tend to spontaneously change it to lower state of energy. For steel
structures the severity of deterioration and rate of corrosion will be considerably increased.
There are five main forms of corrosion which can reduce the load capacity of steel girder
bridge.
i. General Corrosion: It causes the largest percentage of corrosion damage and will lead
to gradual thinning of members due to loss of surface material.
ii. Pitting Corrosion: It also involves loss of material at surface at a very small area and can
extend into the metal. It can cause local stress concentration so pit corrosion occurrence
is serious in high stress regions.
iii. Galvanic Corrosion: It is an electrochemical process and occurs when two dissimilar
metals are electrochemically coupled. One metal act as cathode and another act as anode,
mainly occur in bolted or welded connections can be local and lead to pit formation.
iv. Crevice Corrosion: It occurs beneath peeling of paint or between faying surfaces. This
occur near location of deep pits. It occurs in one metal connected with two environments
v. Stress Corrosion: It occurs in corrosive environment, when metal is under tensile stress.
For steel bridges, lower fracture resistance of metal, higher its susceptibility to corrosion.

It has been observed that corrosion follow an exponential function. C = AtB ……………..(1)
Whereas; C = The average corrosion penetration, in microns.
t = the no of years; A and B the parameters determined from the regression analysis
Due to corrosion three basic changes can occur in steel bridge
1) Loss of material, 2) reduction of section parameters, and 3) Buildup of corrosion products
Loss of material will cause smaller net section and pitting corrosion further increases stress.
A reduction in section area will decrease the geometric properties such as moment of inertia or
radius of gyration and this change may occur in non-linear manner. Buckling capacity is greatly
affected due to reduction in metal thickness due to heavy corrosion. Rust formation may exert
pressure on adjacent elements of around 8 MPa and can pry apart plates. The formation of rust
can lock the mechanism of hinge and it may cause unintended stresses.

On a simple span bridge corrosion generally occurs due to deck joint leakage or the
accumulation of road spray and dust on flat undrained surfaces.

Corrosion pattern developed on the

web at the ends of the girder and the
bottom portion of girder along the
entire length. Due to corrosion of
component more than one type of
deterioration and damages can occur.
Figure 1 Corrosion Pattern on Typical Steel Bridge

BEHAVIOUR OF CORRODED BRIDGES

In a steel bridge the various regions where corrosion will occur must be evaluated in terms of
structural behavior, net remaining area and structural loading on it, to evaluate the corrosion
effect on structural performance. The amount of capacity reduction will depend upon whether
the component is in tension or compression. Compressive capacity depends upon the net area,
geometry, and boundary conditions of the structural element. Tension capacity is computed as
the net remaining area of section times the tensile strength. Bending is critical at the mid span
of girder or above an intermediate support, material loss on top surface of bottom flange or
lower portion of web.

BENDING BEHAVIOUR
The performance of a simply supported composite steel bridge girder in bending
depends upon three basic failure modes. Failure may take place either due to 1) Excessive
yielding in the steel, 2) Crushing of the concrete, and 3) Slippage in the composite connectors.
For composite girders, steel reached the yielding level before the concrete begins to crush at a
strain level of 0.0025-0.0040. Slippage of the composite girder is minor and can be ignored.
Buckling of lower flange in negative moment region is occur in continuous composite girder.
Autostress is a relatively new approach to design continuous steel girder. This method is based
upon the plastic rotational capacity of the girder. When corrosion occurs on bottom flange,
either due to deck leakage or contaminant accumulation, the slenderness ratio would increase
then buckling could occur in the bottom flange before plastic strain levels are reached.
 The analytical model is developed in
which section is created as collection of
composite segments. By assuming the
linear strain behavior and stress strain
relationship for each material the stress
level for each material can be calculated and
then moment curvature relationship can be
established iteratively. Stress strain curve of
concrete is modeled as Hognestad parabola
with a linear descending portion and for a
Figure 2 moment Curvature relationship
steel trilinear distribution is used.

The effect of corrosion on the bending behavior is depend upon whether the section lies in
positive or negative moment region. At a interior support in continuous girder bridge a reduced
lower flange thickness may cause local buckling and for a positive moment region corrosion
will cause the reduction in the tensile capacity of the lower flange. In positive bending, a
capacity loss analysis is carried out for both composite and non-composite wide flange girders.

Reduction in Ultimate Moment Capacity

is linearly dependent to the section loss
due to corrosion. For a particular section
loss reduction in ultimate moment
capacity in non-composite section is
more as compared to composite section.

Figure 3 Reduction in Ultimate Moment Capacity

Due to Corrosion

Reduction in Bending Stiffness is

linearly dependent to the section loss due
to corrosion. For a particular section loss
reduction in bending stiffness in non-
composite section is more as compared
to composite section.

Figure 4 Reduction in Bending Moment Capacity

Due to Corrosion
SHEAR BEHAVIOUR
Web is designed to work at elastic non-buckling stress level. Plate buckling theory must be
considered for the analysis of thin slender web. The web panel near support can be modeled as
rectangular plates with all side pinned.

The critical shear stress in web depends

upon slenderness ratio and relative
dimension of the plate and spacing of the
web stiffeners. Web corrosion occur at
highest shear level for simple span bridge.

Figure 5 Critical Shear Stress in Web Panel

The loss in web material will reduce

shear capacity due to both section
loss and geometric buckling. Shear
capacity diminishes rapidly after
buckling stage is reached.

Figure 6 Reduction in Shear Capacity

Due to Corrosion

BEARING BEHAVIOUR
Corrosion also affects the bearing capacity. Stiffeners provide additional bearing
strength in web. If nominal shear load exceeds 75% of the design shear capacity installation of
stiffeners in rolled simple span steel girders become necessary. After excessive corrosion
stiffener may be necessary to maintain the original design capacity. Capacity of a stiffened web
in bearing can be calculated by treating the web stiffener combination as a column.
Structural Stability Research Council (Johnston 1976), gave the method to calculate the
ultimate bearing stress Fult.
Kh 2
( ) Kh
r
Fult = 𝐹𝑦 [1 − ] for < Cc ………………………………….…...… (2)
2C2c r

π2 Kh
Fult = Kh 2
for ≥ Cc ………………………….………...……. (3)
( ) r
r

2π2 E
Whereas: CC = √ ………………………….……………………….…………. (4)
Fy
K = effective length factor; h = height of the web; r = min radius of gyration.
If no stiffener is present then maximum allowable bearing stress is 80% of yield stress. When
a web become thin due to corrosion, web crippling may take place at lower stress level. There
are three methods for evaluating web bearing strength. (1) Effective width approach, (2) The
plastic hinge failure mechanism, and (3) The plate theory.
In Plate theory the panel can be idealized as a rectangular plate, supported on three sides and
subjected to edge loading, In this case Length of the web in bearing is assumed to be equal to
width of flange plus the thickness of flange and web fillet. The ultimate bearing stress
calculated using the plate theory is

𝜋2 𝐸
𝐹𝑢𝑙𝑡 = 𝑘 𝑏 2 ≤ 𝐹𝑦 ………………………...………………………. (5)
12(1−𝜈2 )( )
𝑡𝑤
Where k = 1.28 the plate coefficient; ν = Poisson’s ratio; b = length of web in bearing; and
tw = thickness of the web. Assuming that the supported edges of the plate are fixed and bearing
stress is uniformly distributed.
The section loss that affects shear performance will also affect bearing performance. Three
wide flange girders with and without bearing stiffeners are evaluated for bearing capacity at
different corrosion levels.
Two Observation from analysis

1)In the starting phase of corrosion

reduction in bearing capacity is
linear and then becomes non-linear.

2)Bearing stiffeners improve the

capacity at higher corrosion levels.
Figure 7 Reduction in Bearing Capacity Due to Corrosion

EFFECTS OF CORROSION IN CONNECTIONS AND SECONDARY MEMBERS

Capacity of connection is directly related to the net area of connectors, the bolt area, weld
throat, or base metal dimensions. Surface corrosion is a relatively minor problem but, pitting
corrosion can be serious because of the possibility of local stress concentration. A frozen pin
connection can induce extra stresses. The primary effect of corrosion on secondary member is
the loss of section. This loss will reduce tensile and buckling capacities. Transverse bracing
members into the webs of longitudinal girders is a fatigue prone area. As corrosion increases
fatigue life of a member reduces.

ANALYSIS OF 12m AND 18m SIMPLY SUPPORTED STEEL GIRDER BRIDGES

Bridges were designed using the load factor designed approach (Standard 1983). Calculations
were performed for two cases i.e. with and without stiffeners. The Bridges were examined for
their HS rating factor in an unprotected marine environment.
Capacity−1.3 Dead Load
HS Rating Factor = ………………………………………. (5)
1.3(Live Load+Impact)
The HS Rating Factor is plotted against the number of years of exposure. The rated capacity is
calculated for Bending, Shear, and Bearing modes. The Bearing mode is considered with and
without stiffeners. Decline in shear and bearing capacity should be noted which is depend upon
the buckling strength of the web, which is vulnerable to corrosion.

For 12m span bridge, the unstiffened

bearing capacity is low and governs
during the entire life of the structure, but
such a bridge would fail due to buckling
of web at the support. The bridge in
which stiffener is provided, the bending
mode governs for the new bridge. Then
after heavy corrosion after several years
shear modes become critical.
Figure 8 HS Rating versus time of 12 m span

For 18m span bridge, if no bearing

stiffener is present. Bending is initial
controlling mode of failure. As the
decline in bending strength is less than
that for bearing, the bearing mode will
dominate nearly after 15 years. For
bridge span installed with bridge
stiffeners the bearing strength
enhanced so much, under such
conditions, the bearing capacity would
govern for the whole life of structure.

Figure 9 HS Rating versus time of 18m span

CONCLUSION
The deteriorated capacity of steel girder bridges can be modeled based on the location and
rate of corrosion with the structural analysis methods. The effect of corrosion varied depend
on the mode of resistance. The effect of corrosion is more in compression members. The
mode of resistance that governs the design of a new bridge may not be the same when bridge
becomes old. For an unstiffened web plate theory is used. The analysis shows that buckling
of the web is the critical mode of failure for short span bridges. Bridge should be constructed
with proper bearing stiffeners, if they would not get proper maintenance and painting. The
stiffeners will provide more corrosion-tolerant structures.

REFERENCES
Kayser, J.R. and Nowak, A.S., 1989. Capacity loss due to corrosion in steel-girder
bridges. Journal of Structural Engineering, 115(6), pp.1525-1537.