Corrosion effects on the prestressing force of post-tensioned cables due to lack of mortar injection

The contribution focuses on the analytical formulation of the effect of localized corrosion on a post-tensioned concrete bridge in which cables were made adherent by cast-in-situ mortar injections. The corrosion is considered homogeneously distributed over a finite portion of the structure characterized by a lack of mortar injection. The dissertation proves that the reduction of the prestressing cross-section area due to corrosion generates losses in the prestressing force and a stress redistribution inside the undamaged cables. These aspects are numerically quantified by considering several percentages of corroded area for the case study of an existing prestressed concrete bridge, providing information for design and monitoring purposes.