The Need for Standardized Testing of Input Variables for Reliable Service Life Prediction of Reinforced Concrete Structures

Author(s): David Trejo, Mahmoud Shakouri, and Naga Pavan Vaddey
Paper category: Proceedings
Book title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Construction Materials and Systems, Vol. 1
Editor(s): Manu Santhanam, Ravindra Gettu, Radhakrishna G. Pillai, Sunitha K. Nayar
ISBN: 978-2-35158-193-3
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-191-9
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2017
Pages: 125-138
Total Pages: 14
Language : English

Abstract: Significant progress has been made over the past 20 years in developing models to estimate the service-life of reinforced concrete systems. The basic understandings of the mechanisms that control the transport of ions and moisture in concrete systems have been well researched and models for determining corrosion initiation, specifically chloride-induced corrosion initiation of the steel reinforcement, are commonly used in the engineering community. Although several models are available, with each possessing benefits and challenges, the more commonly used model to estimate service life is based on Fick’s Second Law. The classical solution to this partial differential equation for predicting the service life of reinforced concrete structures requires information on the following variables be known: the apparent diffusion coefficient (Da), the critical chloride threshold (CT), the initial “background” chloride concentration (Ci), the surface chloride concentration (Cs), and the depth of concrete cover (x). Because there is a lack of standardized testing, the literature possesses a wide range of values for these input variables (with the exception of cover depth). This paper provides a review of the range of input variable values found in the literature, determines the range of resulting service lives from these values, and proposes some standardized approaches to more accurately quantify these values under specific test conditions.

Online publication : 2017
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros) : 0.00