Finite element analysis of deterioration of axial compression behavior of corroded steel-reinforced concrete middle-length columns

Zhao C., Ying Z., Du C., Yang S., Liu H.

Pull-out tests were conducted to investigate the effects of corrosion of both the longitudinal bars and stirrups on the bond slip behaviour of reinforced concrete specimens. The main experimental variables include concrete strength (26.7 MPa, 37.7 MPa and 45.2 MPa) and expected corrosion loss (0%, 4%, 8% and 12%), with a total of 63 specimens fabricated. The results show that the relative bonding strength of specimens under different concrete strengths gradually decreases with increasing corrosion loss, but the higher the concrete strength is, the faster its degradation rate. The influence of stirrup corrosion on the peak slip can be ignored, but it will further aggravate the degradation of the bonding strength of the specimens. This reduction in bonding strength is linearly related to the stirrup corrosion loss. Based on the experimental results of this work and the achievements of other scholars, a modified relative bonding strength degradation model and a bond–slipbond–slip constitutive model of corroded reinforced concrete are presented by accounting for the influence coefficient of concrete strength. The results show that the constitutive model is in good agreement with the relevant experimental results.

Dudi L., Krishnan S., Bishnoi S.

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in predicting the service life of reinforced concrete structures vulnerable to chloride-induced corrosion. The service life is divided into initiation and propagation phases, considering the de-passivation of the reinforcement's protective film as a threshold for active corrosion. However, it is observed that the corrosion process is gradual, requiring considerable time before significant damage occurs. This research presents a comprehensive numerical model that incorporates both passive and active corrosion contributions to predict the service life. The model utilizes a finite difference approach to simulate transportation processes, corrosion current, and rust growth. Time-varying boundary conditions, including relative humidity, temperature, and surface chloride concentration, are considered in solving the partial differential equation governing the transportation processes. The incorporation of both passive and active corrosion contributions, as well as the consideration of time-varying boundary conditions, enhances the accuracy of the predictions. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of corrosion rate, cross-section loss rate, and service life, considering variations in relative humidity, temperature, water-to-cement ratio, and cover depth. The results highlight the significant impact of relative humidity and water-to-cement ratio on corrosion rate and cross-section loss. Changing the water-to-cement ratio from 0.5 to 0.4 was observed to double the overall service life of an identical structure. Additionally, cover depth was identified as a crucial factor affecting the service life of the structure. Changing the cover depth from 40 mm to 80 mm enhanced service life by three and a half times in the present case study. Temperature fluctuations had a relatively minor effect within acceptable limits, allowing the use of average temperatures for service life estimation, particularly in coastal regions. The comprehensive model presented can provide aid in informed decision-making for corrosion prevention and mitigation strategies in practice.

Medall D., Ibáñez C., Albero V., Espinós A., Romero M.L.

Technological advances in the development of steel–concrete composite structures have led to the introduction of novel types of sections in the sought of higher load-bearing capacities. Particularly for composite columns, the axial capacity of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) sections may be enhanced by the introduction of an open steel profile embedded within the concrete infill, forming the so-called steel-reinforced concrete-filled steel tubular (SR-CFST) columns. An important aspect that should be revised, in order to safely use these sections in design, is their performance after a fire. In this experimental program, six SR-CFST stub columns are tested in the post-fire situation. Two series of columns comprising three circular and three square sections with the same steel usage are tested for comparison purposes. The size of the inner steel profile is varied in order to investigate its effect over the post-fire capacity of the columns. The specimens were initially exposed to elevated temperatures inside an electric furnace, and then cooled to ambient temperature; afterwards compressive axial load was applied gradually until failure, to ascertain their residual capacity. The experimental results show the high ductility of the SR-CFST stub columns after heating, with the circular specimens reaching higher post-fire peak loads than their square counterparts. This load increases with the size of the embedded steel profile. The post-fire capacities of the columns are evaluated through the Residual Strength Index, showing similar values for both circular and square SR-CFST columns. Finally, a design equation is proposed to facilitate the evaluation of the post-fire compression resistance of SR-CFST columns, as an extension of the existing room temperature design equation in Eurocode 4 Part 1–2 for CFST columns, accounting for the degradation of the steel and concrete after fire exposure through the corresponding residual factors.

Jiang C., Ding H., Gu X., Zhang W.

This short communication presented the calibration analysis methods and results of calculation formulas for shear capacities of corroded RC beams. A dataset was established which involved shear tests on 93 non-corroded control and 326 corroded RC beams with corroded longitudinal steel bars, stirrups and/or bent steel bars. Then, the generalized calibration method for calculation formulas of shear capacities of corroded RC beams was proposed. Based on the shear capacity calculation formulas for non-corroded RC beams specified by the Chinese code, the corrosion-induced reduction functions for the concrete contribution term, stirrups contribution term and bent steel bars contribution term were calibrated with test results collected in the dataset. After that, the recommended reduction functions were proposed and the corresponding recommended shear capacity calculation formulas were found reliably conservative. The calibration results were dependent on the specific shear capacity calculation formulas for non-corroded RC beams. Nevertheless, the dataset is available to all readers upon request to allow them to calibrate their own calculation formulas for shear capacities of corroded RC beams. The recommended shear capacity calculation formulas could help reliable safety assessments of existing RC structures.

Qi J., Ye Y., Huang Z., Lv W., Zhou W., Liu F., Wu J.

A steel–concrete composite box girder has good anti-seismic energy dissipation capacity, absorbs seismic energy, and reduces seismic action. It is very suitable for high-rise and super high-rise mega composite structure systems, which is in accordance with the condition of capital construction. In order to accurately study the elastic–plastic seismic response of the composite structure, the restoring force model of the building structure is the primary problem that needs to be solved. Previous research shows that shear connection degree, force ratio, and web height–thickness ratio are the major factors that influence composite box girder bearing capacity and seismic behavior. In this paper, low cycle vertical load tests of four steel–concrete composite box girders were conducted with different shear connection degrees and ratios of web height to thickness. The seismic behavior of a steel–concrete composite box girder was analyzed in depth, such as the hysteresis law, skeleton curve, and stiffness degradation law, etc. The influence of the shear connection degree and ratio of web height to thickness on seismic performance of the steel–concrete composite box girder was investigated. A three-fold line model of the bending moment–curvature skeleton curve of composite box girders was established. On the basis of experimental data and theoretical analysis, the formula of positive and negative stiffness degradation of composite box girders was obtained. Furthermore, the maximum point orientation hysteresis model of the bending moment–curvature of steel–concrete composite box girders was established. The calculated results of the restoring force model agree well with the experimental results. The accuracy of the proposed method is verified. The calculation method of the model is simple and clear, convenient for hand calculation, and suitable for engineering applications.

Sun B., Ye S., Qiu T., Fu C., Wu D., Jin X.

Yan Y., Xing Z., Chen X., Xie Z., Zhang J., Chen Y.

Abstract The addition of nano-silica to ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) to increase its toughness has been proposed to obtain ultra-high-performance nano-concrete (UHPNC). This work mainly studies the reinforcement effect of UHPNC on concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns under long-term load. Ten CFST columns strengthened with UHPNC were selected and reinforced with UHPNC. The influences of different thicknesses of UHPNC reinforcement layer and different nano-silica contents on the axial compression properties of specimens were mainly studied, by loading specimens in two steps: long-term load and ultimate load. This study discussed the failure modes, compressive toughness, ultimate bearing capacity, initial stiffness, and ductility coefficient of the specimens. The results show that the outsourced UHPNC reinforcement method is an effective method to improve the performance of CFST columns during service period. With the increase in the thickness of UHPNC reinforced layer, the ultimate bearing capacity of CFST column increases greatly. The compression toughness is increased with the increase in nano-silica content and UHPNC reinforcement layer thickness. The decrease rate of initial stiffness increases with the increase in nano-silica content.

Liu Y., Hao H., Hao Y., Cui J.

• The dynamic bond behavior between corroded steel bars and concrete was investigated. • The failure modes, ultimate bond strength, dynamic bond-slip relationships were discussed. • The empirical formulae of dynamic increase factors (DIFs) of the ultimate bond strength corresponding to different corrosion levels and strain rates were proposed. • Deterioration of ultimate bond force with respect to the corrosion degree at different strain rates was discussed. Corrosion damage of steel reinforcement is detrimental to the load-carrying capacity of reinforced concrete structures because it not only reduces the cross sectional area and strength of reinforcement bars, but also weakens the bond between reinforcement and concrete. Many studies have investigated the effects of corrosion on reinforcement loss and static bond strength between reinforcement and concrete, but no study of the influence of corrosion damage on dynamic bond strength has been reported yet. In this study, laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the effect of corrosion on the bond behaviour between steel reinforcement and concrete subjected to high rate dynamic load. Accelerated corrosion damage was induced to steel bars embedded in concrete specimens under laboratory condition. The bond parameters of steel reinforcement and concrete including the ultimate bonding load and bond-slip relationship corresponding to the various strain rates and corrosion degrees were obtained through dynamic pull-out tests. The empirical formulae of dynamic increase factors (DIFs) of the ultimate bonding strength corresponding to different corrosion levels and strain rates were proposed. The experimental results show that the strain rate effect on bonding behaviour is prominent irrespective of the corrosion level. The increase in the ultimate bonding strength with strain rate for the heavily corroded reinforcement ( η = 5 %-10 %) is more prominent than that for the slightly corroded reinforcement ( η = 0 %-5%). The decrease in the ultimate pull-out force caused by the corrosion damage at high strain rate is more pronounced than that at low strain rate. Corrosion-induced crack and the tensile strength of concrete have significant effect on both the static and dynamic bond behaviours. The results presented in the paper can be used for better modelling and prediction of the responses of corroded reinforced concrete structures subjected to dynamic loads.

Wang J., Yi X., Liu Q., Fang X.

In this paper, based on the low-cycle loading tests of 11 steel-reinforced concrete (SRC) frame columns with built-in Q690 steel and 5 SRC frame columns with built-in Q235 steel, a systematic study on their seismic performance was carried out. The design parameters of the specimens were the steel strength, axial compression ratio, shear span ratio, steel content, and stirrup ratio. The failure modes, stress characteristics, hysteresis curve, skeleton curve, displacement ductility performance, energy dissipation capacity, and other main seismic indicators of the specimens with different parameters were analyzed, and the corresponding relationship between the displacement ductility performance of the specimen and the energy dissipation capacity and design parameters was obtained. The results show that the load–displacement curve of the specimens is relatively full, the descending section is gentle, and various seismic performance indicators are relatively excellent, reflecting good seismic performance. Equipped with high-strength steel SRC frame columns, they can better bear the horizontal load, the displacement ductility performance is improved, and the energy dissipation capacity is slightly lower than that of ordinary-strength steel SRC frame columns. The increase in the shear span ratio, steel content, and stirrup ratio of the specimens helps to improve their seismic performance, whereas an increase in the axial compression ratio makes their seismic performance worse.

Luo D., Li F., Xing G.

Abstract The durability of concrete structures is often reduced owing to the corrosion of reinforcement in an aggressive environment. Ordinary reinforcement methods, such as wrapping section steel or steel plate, are also vulnerable to corrosion. Using 6061-T6 aluminium alloy as near-surface reinforcement of the concrete structure is a feasible method. In this study, the corrosion resistance of 6061-T6 aluminium alloy bars was studied by simulating the coastal environment, atmospheric environment, and concrete internal environment with chloride solution, simulated acid rain solution, and saturated Ca(OH)2 solution. The corrosion rate of the 6061-T6 aluminium alloy in the above environments was tested using a weight loss method, and its corrosion resistance was evaluated using the metal corrosion resistance classification standard. Based on the electrochemical reaction mechanism, the polarisation properties and AC impedance spectra of steel and 6061-T6 aluminium alloy were compared, and the corrosion resistance mechanisms of steel and the 6061-T6 aluminium alloy in the above corrosive environments were obtained. The results show that the 6061-T6 aluminium alloy has better corrosion resistance than steel bars in chloride and atmospheric environments, with corrosion currents of 0.012 and 0.037 µA·cm−2, and 8-day corrosion rates of 0.051 and 0.031 mm·a−1, respectively. However, owing to the activity of the aluminium alloy, its corrosion resistance in an alkaline environment inside concrete is poor; the corrosion current is 0.22 µA·cm−2 and the 8-day corrosion rate is 16.166 mm·a−1. The research results can provide a reference for applying aluminium alloy bars as external prestressed concrete bars and near-surface steel bars.

Chu L., Tian Y., Li D., He Y., Feng H.

As one of the key parts of a frame structure, joints are usually subjected to large shear forces under seismic loads. The calculation of joint shear capacity is an essential step in seismic design. In this paper, the existing calculation methods for shear capacity of steel reinforced concrete (SRC) column-steel beam joints from different standards were studied and compared in detail. Quasi-static cyclic tests were conducted on six SRC composite column-steel beam joint specimens with or without reinforced concrete (RC) slab. The corresponding shear capacities were calculated based on the stress mechanism of the joints, and several existing calculation methods were compared. The main design parameters in the tests were axial compression ratio and concrete slab width. Results showed that the shear capacity of the joints increased with an increase in the axial compression ratio. The addition of X-reinforcement had little effect on the shear capacity of the joints, while an RC slab could greatly increase the shear capacity of the joints. Finally, the formula for the shear capacity suggested by Chinese standard of JGJ138-2016 was improved to consider the effect of RC slabs on capacity of the SRC column-steel beam joints through finite element analysis. The modified formula was proven to be effective and feasible in engineering practice.

Sonnenschein R., Gajdosova K., Gramblicka S.

Abstract Architects now often require the use of slender load-bearing structures, but they must be sufficiently resistant to all loads. The use of the composite steel-concrete columns joins the main advantages of the individual materials. The most commonly used composite is the steel-concrete. Depending on the amount, shape, location and utilization rate of the steel or concrete, the composite columns are closer to the steel or reinforced concrete columns. The composite steel-concrete structures utilize high compressive strength of concrete and high tensile resistance of the structural steel. The steel-concrete connection is therefore highly efficient, and by combining, it is possible to produce relatively lightweight structures with wide use in high-rise buildings and bridges. The composite steel-concrete columns have high strength with a relatively small cross-sectional area. Composite efficiency also depends on the type of composite steel-concrete column. The most commonly used type is a steel tube filled with concrete. In the case of a steel tube filled with concrete, it is possible to use the confining effect of a steel tube, which prevents lateral deformation of the concrete and at the same time, the concrete core prevents compression of the steel tube. These two effects increase the total resistance of the composite steel-concrete column. Other types are partially or fully concrete-encased steel section. The use of a fully concrete-encased steel cross-section increases the fire resistance of the cross-section as the steel profile is protected by concrete against the effects of fire. The criterion for selecting the appropriate shape and type of the steel part of the column cross-section, the design of the global structural system of the object should be taken into account. Not only one European standard is needed to design composite steel-concrete structures. In addition to the standard EN 1994-1-1 Design of composite steel and concrete structures, it is also necessary to use standards EN 1992-1-1 Design of concrete structures and EN 1993-1-1 Design of steel structures.

Ben Seghier M.E., Ouaer H., Ghriga M.A., Menad N.A., Thai D.

The capacity efficiency of load carrying with the accurate serviceability performances of reinforced concrete (RC) structure is an important aspect, which is mainly dependent on the values of the ultimate bond strength between the corroded steel reinforcements and the surrounding concrete. Therefore, the precise determination of the ultimate bond strength degradation is of paramount importance for maintaining the safety levels of RC structures affected by corrosion. In this regard, hybrid intelligence and machine learning techniques are proposed to build a new framework to predict the ultimate bond strength in between the corroded steel reinforcements and the surrounding concrete. The proposed computational techniques include the multilayer perceptron (MLP), the radial basis function neural network and the genetic expression programming methods. In addition to that, the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) deterministic approach and two meta-heuristic optimization approaches, namely the artificial bee colony algorithm and the particle swarm optimization algorithm, are employed in order to guarantee an optimum selection of the hyper-parameters of the proposed techniques. The latter were implemented based on an experimental published database consisted of 218 experimental tests, which cover various factors related to the ultimate bond strength, such as compressive strength of the concrete, concrete cover, the type steel, steel bar diameter, length of the bond and the level of corrosion. Based on their performance evaluation through several statistical assessment tools, the proposed models were shown to predict the ultimate bond strength accurately; outperforming the existing hybrid artificial intelligence models developed based on the same collected database. More precisely, the MLP-LM model was, by far, the best model with a determination coefficient (R2) as high as 0.97 and 0.96 for the training and the overall data, respectively.

Lu Z., Wang H., Qu F., Zhao Y., Li P., Li W.

In this study, a total of 177 flexural experimental tests of corroded reinforced concrete (CRC) beams were collected from the published literature. The database of flexural capacity of CRC beam was established by using unified and standardized experimental data. Through this database, the effects of various parameters on the flexural capacity of CRC beams were discussed, including beam width, the effective height of beam section, ratio of strength between longitudinal reinforcement and concrete, concrete compressive strength, and longitudinal reinforcement corrosion ratio. The results indicate that the corrosion of longitudinal reinforcement has the greatest effect on the residual flexural capacity of CRC beams, while other parameters have much less effect. In addition, six available empirical models for calculating the residual flexural strength of CRC beams were also collected and compared with each other based on the established database. It indicates that though five of six existing empirical models underestimate the flexural capacity of CRC beams, there is one model overestimating the flexural capacity. Finally, a newly developed empirical model is proposed to provide accurate and effective predictions in a large range of corrosion ratio for safety assessment of flexural failure of CRC beams confirmed by the comparisons.

Coronelli D.

Li X., Zheng J., Lin Y., Xing Z., Wang Z., Chen J., Chen Y.

Zhang W., Shi J., Xing Z., Chen L., Guo Z., Wang Z., Chen Y.

Li X., Lin Y., Zhang C., Chen Y., Chen W., Geng L.

To improve the durability of marine renewable energy infrastructures, this paper proposed a weathering steel reinforced seawater sea-sand concrete (WSRSSC) structure and investigated its interfacial bond-slip behavior. Forty specimens were designed and underwent simulated marine corrosion tests and push-out tests to explore the effect of various factors, including the corrosion time, shaped steel type, steel section form, seawater sea-sand concrete (SSC) strength, and stirrup spacing. The findings indicated that the ultimate bond stress and residual bond stress increase with higher SSC strength but decrease with greater stirrup spacing. The steel section form significantly affected the ultimate bond stress. With the increase in corrosion time, the ultimate bond stress of WSRSSC specimens first increased and then slowly decreased in the later stages. Weathering steel specimens demonstrated superior corrosion resistance and long-term performance compared to carbon steel specimens. Considering the bond formation mechanism and corrosion damage, the calculation model for the ultimate bond stress and residual bond stress of WSRSSC specimens was proposed. Furthermore, the four-stage bond-slip constitutive model between weathering steel and seawater sea-sand concrete was established, aligning with the bond characteristics of different corrosion degrees and contributing to the numerical simulation of WSRSSC structures in corrosive marine environments.

Xing Z., Guo Y., Zhu Y., Chen L., Chung K., Chen Y.

The study of the durability of steel-reinforced concrete (SRC) columns under the influence of coastal moisture–heat coupling has grown in prominence. In this study, electrochemical corrosion and axial pressure loading tests were performed on 10 SRC columns. These tests studied the effects of varying corrosion rates and CL−concentration on the axial pressure performance of the SRC columns when conducted in an energized medium, and the results revealed the modes of failure and the degradation laws. The ultimate bearing capacity and stiffness of SRC columns increasingly deteriorate with increasing corrosion rate; the ductility index also deteriorates to certain extent. When the corrosion rate exceeds 20 %, each index parameter of the test column deteriorates. During the axial compression test, the concentration of CL−in the energized medium primarily increases the growth rate of strain in the elastic-plastic phase during the middle and late loading stages. This leads to further deterioration of the SRC columns in multiple ways, such as cracking of the protective layer of concrete, weakening of the material properties, and damage to the cross-section. Based on this experimental study, the modeling of SRC columns under chloride salt erosion was performed using a new finite-element method. In addition, the Mander constrained concrete model and the Biondini concrete cracking model were used to theoretically derive the ultimate bearing capacity of the corroded SRC column.

Zhang W., Chen S., Zhu Y., Liu S., Chen W., Chen Y.

This study adopts experimental, numerical, and algorithmic methods to investigate the compressive behavior and failure mode of corroded circular steel tube short columns. The study establishes an equivalent relationship between electrochemical accelerated corrosion and natural coastal corrosion environments. The effects of current intensity, sodium chloride concentration, and energizing time on corrosion equivalent duration and mechanical properties of specimens are analyzed. The results demonstrate that the ultimate bearing capacity and energy absorption capacity of the specimens are significantly reduced with increasing current intensity and energized time. However, the NaCl concentration has minimal effect on the mechanical properties of the specimens. After natural corrosion in a coastal area with medium salinity for 19.2 years, the ultimate bearing capacity, ductility, initial stiffness, and energy absorption capacity of circular steel tube short columns decreased by 49.5%, 63.1%, 48.9%, and 85.6%, respectively. A novel corrosion pit generation algorithm is suggested to accurately simulate the distribution of corrosion pits and determine the ultimate bearing capacity of circular steel tube short columns. This algorithm demonstrates improved accuracy and stability compared to traditional simplified methods. Subsequently, a corrosion pit random generation model is developed using this method, and the accuracy of the finite element model is validated against experimental results. Furthermore, the impact of the diameter thickness ratio on the ultimate bearing capacity of corrosion specimens is thoroughly analyzed.

Xing Z., Zhu Y., Shao Y., Ma E., Chung K., Chen Y.

Using glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars to reinforce seawater sea-sand concrete (SWSSC) is a feasible way to replace traditional concrete structures. Thus, this paper aims to understand the shear response of GFRP bar-reinforced SWSSC (GFRP-SWSSC) deep beams. Experimental and numerical programs were carried out on four-point shear tests of GFRP-SWSSC deep beams without stirrups. Seventy specimens were tested to investigate the effects of key parameters on shear responses, including concrete categories, seashell content, section heights, and GFRP bar diameter. The test results indicated that the cracking strength of GFRP-SWSSC deep beams was slightly higher than ordinary concrete deep beams. The increased section height of GFRP-SWSSC deep beams and the decreased shell content remarkably enhanced the stiffness and shear ultimate strength. The corresponding finite element model (FEM) of GFRP-SWSSC specimens was established and validated by comparison with test results. Further, three guidelines predictions for the shear strength of GFRP-SWSSC beams were too conservative. The new design formulae derived from modified tension-compression theory were put forward to evaluate the shear strength of GFRP-SWSSC deep beams, and the comparisons demonstrated that the proposed design formulae achieved sufficient accurate predictions for practical engineering. Based on research on shear performance, the hybrid GFRP-SWSSC structure is a feasible solution to resource shortages, which provides a promising application prospect in marine engineering.

Xing Z., Zhu Y., Liu Q., Hui D., Chen Y., Chen W.

To investigate the influence of aspect ratio and width-to-thickness ratio on the axial compression behavior of square pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) tubular stub columns, axial compression tests were conducted on 12 GFRP tubular columns. The mechanical properties of the GFRP tubular columns, including load-bearing capacity, initial stiffness, compressive toughness, and ductility coefficient, were analyzed. The test results reveal that all GFRP tubular columns exhibit crushing failure, with specific failure modes including mid-section fracture and longitudinal tearing along the corners of the columns. The load-bearing capacity is negatively correlated with the aspect ratio and width-to-thickness ratio. The initial stiffness negatively correlates with the aspect ratio, and the compressive toughness negatively correlates with the width-to-thickness ratio. The Hashin damage criteria for the C3D8R solid element was developed by utilizing the explicit finite element subroutine ABAQUS-VUMAT to analyze the axial compression behavior of GFRP tubular columns. Through parameter analysis, the relationship between the load-bearing capacity and fiber orientation was obtained, and an empirical equation for predicting the load-bearing capacity of the GFRP tubular column was proposed.

Chen S., Zhang W., Xu Y., Zhou X., Chen Y., Chen W.

Steel structures often experience significant durability degradation over time due to extreme environments. To better understand the impact of chloride environments on the mechanical properties of steel compression members, accelerated corrosion tests were conducted on H-shaped steel short columns with applied current. Monotonic tensile tests were also performed on steel specimens, and axial compression tests were carried out on H-shaped steel short columns with varying degrees of corrosion. The results revealed that the corrosion rate increased with higher current intensity and longer electrification duration while changing with different chloride ion concentrations. As the corrosion rate increased, the steel material exhibited a linear decrease in yield strength, ultimate strength, and elastic modulus. Consequently, the mechanical properties of the H-shaped steel columns, such as stiffness, ductility coefficient, and load-bearing capacity, were adversely affected. Based on these findings, a predictive formula was proposed to estimate the ultimate load-bearing capacity of H-shaped steel columns with different degrees of corrosion in chloride salt environments. The experimental results were further validated through numerical simulations, and parameter analysis indicated a negative correlation between flange width-to-thickness ratio, web height-to-thickness ratio, and ultimate load-bearing capacity of H-shaped steel columns. Finally, a random corrosion pit generation algorithm is proposed, effectively simulating the actual corrosion pit distribution and calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of columns.