Study on properties of reinforced concrete structures in seismic regions

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the effects of earthquakes on the properties of medium-height reinforced concrete houses in China. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in ultrasonic resonance frequency, indicating structural damage, with reductions of 26.5 %, 30.2 %, and 37 % observed for earthquakes of magnitudes 5.0, 5.3, and 5.7, respectively. Similarly, the dynamic modulus of elasticity exhibited a reduction of over 50 %. Measurements of carbonation depth revealed values of 34.65 mm, 38.97 mm, and 46.12 mm for earthquakes of magnitudes 5.0, 5.3, and 5.7, respectively. Accordingly, the percentage of mass loss amounted to 22.17 %, 36.87 %, and 49.78 %. Furthermore, experiments identified the least favourable outcomes during maximum seismic activity, with a recorded peak stress of 447.3 MPa at a deformation of 0.63 mm. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of seismic events on reinforced concrete structures and the associated corrosion mechanisms.

Keywords

• Reinforced concrete structure characteristics
• Seismic activity
• Reinforcement corrosion
• Cracks
• Dependency