# A Constitutive Equation and Numerical Study on the Tensile Behavior of Reinforcing Steel Under Different Mass Loss Ratios

## TL;DR

This study develops a model to predict how corrosion affects the strength of steel used in construction, showing it works well even under severe conditions.

## Contribution

A new constitutive equation is proposed to accurately predict mechanical degradation of corroded steel based on mass loss ratios.

## Key findings

- The proposed model achieved 80% accuracy in predicting strength reduction due to corrosion.
- The model captures key degradation features like reduced yield strength and ductility.
- It outperforms existing models in severe corrosion conditions.

## Abstract

This study investigates the mechanical degradation of HRB400 corroded reinforcing steel induced by corrosion and introduces a tailored constitutive model to capture the influence of mass loss ratios. A series of tensile tests were conducted following chloride-driven wet–dry cycles combined with a simulated marine corrosion environment, enabling the quantification of the relationship between mass loss ratios and mechanical performance. A degradation equation based on mass loss ratios was derived and benchmarked against both experimental data and the existing Hooputra’s Ductile Damage (HDD) model. The proposed equation achieved approximately 80% accuracy in predicting strength reduction across varying corrosion levels. A finite element model incorporating the HDD framework was developed to simulate tensile failure, successfully capturing key degradation characteristics, including reduced yield strength, diminished ductility, and a shortened yield plateau. Unlike other models, it maintained high predictive accuracy even under severe corrosion. These findings demonstrate the model’s potential for structural analysis and reinforcement design in corrosion-prone environments.