Service Life of reinforced concrete structures under combined mechanical and environmental loads

Title: Service Life of reinforced concrete structures under combined mechanical and environmental loads
Author(s): F.H. Wittmann, T. Zhao, P. Zhang, F. Jiang
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International Symposium on Service Life Design for Infrastructures
Editor(s): K. van Breugel, Guang Ye, Yong Yuan
Print-ISBN: 978-2-35158-096-7
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-097-4
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2010
Pages: 91 - 98
Total Pages: 8
Nb references: 11
Language: English

Abstract: For prediction and design of durability and service life of cement-based materials and of reinforced concrete structures one dominant load is considered usually. This may be either a mechanical load or it may be an environmental load as for instance carbonation, frost damage, or chloride penetration. In reality, however, mechanical and different environmental loads act simultaneously or consecutively in most cases. It will be shown that synergetic effects of load combinations have to be taken into consideration if service life design is to be realistic.
Otherwise time-dependent induced damage is underestimated and the calculated service life is a crude overestimation. As an example a limited number of load combinations will be selected such as frost damage, carbonation, and chloride penetration. It will be shown that service life under combined actions will be significantly shorter than under the influence of separate individual actions. For realistic service life design this effect is most important. Examples will be presented and discussed.

Online publication: 2011-04-20
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00