DEVELOPING AN ENGINEERING APPROACH FOR MIGRATING FROM PRESCRIPTIVE TO PERFORMANCE-BASED SPECIFICATION FOR CONCRETE

Author(s): Sreejith Nanukuttan, P. A. Muhammed Basheer, W. John McCarter and Tang Luping
Paper category: Proceedings
Book title: proceedings of the International RILEM Conference on Materials, Systems and Structures in Civil Engineering Conference segment on Service Life of Cement-Based Materials and Structures
Editor(s): Miguel Azenha, Ivan Gabrijel, Dirk Schlicke, Terje Kanstad and Ole Mejlhede Jensen
ISBN:978-2-35158-170-4
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-173-5
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2016
Pages: 324-333
Total Pages: 10
Language : English

Abstract: The integral variability of raw materials, lack of awareness and appreciation of the
technologies for achieving quality control and lack of appreciation of the micro and macro
environmental conditions that the structures will be subjected, makes modern day concreting
a challenge. This also makes Designers and Engineers adhere more closely to prescriptive
standards developed for relatively less aggressive environments. The data from exposure sites
and real structures prove, categorically, that the prescriptive specifications are inadequate for
chloride environments. In light of this shortcoming, a more pragmatic approach would be to
adopt performance-based specifications which are familiar to industry in the form of
specification for mechanical strength. A recently completed RILEM technical committee
made significant advances in making such an approach feasible. Furthering a performance-
based specification requires establishment of reliable laboratory and on-site test methods, as
well as easy to perform service-life models. This article highlights both laboratory and on-site
test methods for chloride diffusivity/electrical resistivity and the relationship between these
tests for a range of concretes. Further, a performance-based approach using an on-site
diffusivity test is outlined that can provide an easier to apply/adopt practice for Engineers and
asset managers for specifying/testing concrete structures.

Online publication : 2016
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros) : 0.00