Compressive Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Pedestals with Corroded Steel Reinforcements

The behavior of concrete pedestals for the transmission of loads from bridge deck to substructure is investigated till failure. An experimental campaign with 24 prismatic pedestals tested in compression was carried out with different heights/width ratios and percentages of steel reinforcement at the bottom edge. Corrosion of the lower reinforcements was induced to simulate the behavior of pedestals of existing bridges, by placing specimens in a tank with sodium chloride producing a pitting attac