Numerical Investigation for Flexural Response of Stainless-Steel Reinforced Concrete Beams

Stainless steel (SS) is becoming increasingly popular as reinforcement across the globe, owing to its superior mechanical and durability properties. This study numerically investigates the flexural behaviour of a stainless steel reinforced concrete beam. Primarily, the experimental results are validated by developing 3D finite element (FE) models with stainless steel rebars, considering the actual test data. In the modelling process, 8-node brick element for concrete and 2-node beam element for reinforcement were employed in the finite element model. The numerical results are presented in terms of load displacement response, yield, and ultimate capacity with respective deformation, ductility, etc. The numerical results depicted reasonably good accuracy in predicting the load deformation response and ultimate load of the stainless steel reinforced concrete beam. The models have been regenerated for concrete beams with conventional mild steel to investigate the comparative behaviour in terms of significant changes in their load carrying capacity and the corresponding ultimate deformation. Results revealed that the peak loads remained approximately the same for 30 MPa and 40 MPa concrete strengths, although the stainless steel reinforced beams showed greater deformability and ductility. In addition, a parametric study of reinforced concrete beam models consisting of Grade 201 stainless steel rebars and 60 grade mild steel rebars with varying concrete strength of 30 MPa, 40 MPa and 50 MPa was also performed to investigate their effects on the initial stiffness, ductility and ultimate load carrying capacity of the concrete beams. The numerical response rendered that beams reinforced with stainless steel provide similar ultimate flexural capacity with improved stiffness and ductility compared to that of the mild steel rebars.