Found 1 project
Oral Presentation 3
3:30 PM to 5:10 PM
- Presenter
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- Daniela Yuxi (Daniela) Cao, Senior, Civil Engineering Mary Gates Scholar, UW Honors Program
- Mentor
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- Travis Thonstad, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Session
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Session O-3O: Innovations in Materials, Mechanics, and Technology for Society
- CSE 691
- 3:30 PM to 5:10 PM
Bridges serve as critical lifelines after seismic events, and closures or rerouting due to earthquake damage can significantly impact the communities that they serve. To reduce bridge damage during an earthquake, nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMAs) reinforcement have been proposed. The self-centering and energy dissipation capabilities of NiTi SMA can be used to reduce residual displacements and inhibit critical damage states. However, the high cost of NiTi SMAs necessitates their selective placement in the most structurally efficient locations, requiring coupling with conventional low-carbon steel reinforcement. This coupling of dissimilar metals introduces potential long-term durability and performance concerns, particularly in chloride-rich environments from de-icing salts or marine exposure. These concerns are especially relevant to the Seattle region, where the first U.S. bridge utilizing SMA reinforcement was constructed in 2016. This study aims to characterize the corrosion-induced degradation in reinforced concrete infrastructure incorporating coupled NiTi SMA and steel reinforcement. To investigate the effect of the anode-to-cathode ratio, the exposed area of the steel was varied while keeping the exposed area of NiTi SMA constant. For each anode-to-cathode ratio, three cells were prepared: two half-cells with only steel or NiTi specimens and one coupled cell connecting both materials. All specimens were immersed in a simulated pore concrete solution for 18 days, after which 3% wt NaCl was introduced. After another 18 days, this concentration was increased to 10 wt% NaCl. Electrochemical techniques—including linear polarization resistance, cyclic polarization resistance, and zero-resistance ammetry—were used to evaluate the corrosion behavior of the steel specimens. Results indicate that coupling NiTi and mild steel alters the corrosion response of steel and provides insights into the long-term durability of structures reinforced with coupled NiTi and steel reinforcements.