Experimental assessment of tensile strength of corroded steel specimens subjected to sandblast and sandpaper cleaning

•The effect of sandblasting and sand paper cleaning on the mechanical properties of corroded steel is studied.•An experimental assessment of tensile strength of small scale steel corroded specimens is performed.•Tests are performed to determine the mechanical properties of non-maintained, sandblasted, and sandpaper cleaned, specimen.•Regression equations of the material properties are derived as a function of the degree of corrosion and maintenance actions.•Simplified stress-strain curves accounting for the corrosion degradation and maintenance actions are developed.

The effect of sandblasting and sand paper cleaning on the mechanical properties of corroded steel specimens is studied. An experimental assessment of tensile strength of small scale steel corroded specimens is performed. The specimens were cut from a box girder, initially corroded in sea water conditions and later the specimens were subjected to sandblast and sandpaper cleaning. Tension tests are performed to determine the mechanical properties of three groups of specimens, including non-maintained, sandblasted, and sandpaper cleaned, corroded specimen, allowing the estimation of the modulus of elasticity, yield stress, tensile strength, total uniform elongation and n and K strength parameters. Regression equations of the material properties are derived as a function of the degree of corrosion and maintenance actions. It is shown that these two methods of removing corrosion products from the surface of plate specimens have different effects on their mechanical properties and stress-strain relationships. Based on the achieved results a simplified stress-strain curve accounting for the corrosion degradation and maintenance actions is developed, which may be used for structural assessment of ageing marine structures.