Journal Article

Comparison of Plane-Strain and Three-Dimensional Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Nonuniform Corrosion

Sharma, Umesh Kumar, Chauhan, Aditi, Banerjee, Sauvik, Desai, Yogesh M

2026

Overview

Analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) damage under nonuniform corrosion has mostly been performed by adopting the twodimensional (2-D) plane-strain assumption to reduce computational efforts compared with three-dimensional (3-D) models. This paper aims to compare results obtained from the 2-D plane-strain formulation with 3-D analysis in the context of nonuniform corrosion, highlighting differences and similarities to gain valuable insights into the structural response and damage prediction. The findings indicate that both the 2-D and 3-D models yield reasonably similar damage patterns, with minor discrepancies in crack orientation, and predict comparable hairline crack widths on the concrete surface. During initial corrosion stages, both models exhibit similar stress and strain distributions. However, as corrosion progresses, distinct variations in stress and strain patterns emerge. Interestingly, despite these differences, the extent of damage converges as corrosion advances, suggesting a critical stage beyond which the RC response remains consistent regardless of the modeling approach. The study emphasizes stress and strain variations over time for accurate RC behavior representation. Keywords: corrosion-induced damage; finite element (FE); plane strain; reinforced concrete (RC); three-dimensional (3-D) model.

• Publisher: American Concrete Institute
• Subject: Analysis / Chemical properties / Chloride / Concrete / Corrosion / Corrosion and anti-corrosives / Crack propagation / Damage patterns / Dimensional analysis / Dynamic testing / Humidity / Materials / Mechanical properties / Plane strain / Reinforced concrete / Simulation / Strain analysis / Structural response / Testing / Three dimensional analysis / Three dimensional models / Two dimensional analysis