Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Investigation of the Defects in the Compressed Zone of the Reinforced Concrete Elements

Abstract

Due to economic trends in the building industry, the investigation of the residual bearing capacity of reinforced concrete elements has been receiving more and more attention in recent years. Studying the effect of damage on the bearing capacity of reinforced concrete elements is one of the main themes of investigation in this field. Results of 4 reinforced concrete beams’ testing are proposed, one of which was the control one (tested without damages) and three- typically damaged in the compressed zone at different load levels. As a result, the most crucial effect was detected by the type of damage, load, and neutral axis position change. In addition, research results demonstrate an increase of 3.8% in reinforced concrete beams bearing capacity if they are damaged under the load, compared with the unloaded damaged reinforced concrete beams.