Research

Multi-physical and multi-scale deterioration modelling of reinforced concrete part II: Coupling corrosion and damage at the structural scale

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Abstract

Deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings represents one of the major challenges currently facing developed countries. This deterioration leads to economic costs for maintenance and replacement, environmental impacts such increased global warming potential as a result of cement production and traffic emissions, and social costs related to traffic congestion and human health concerns. While engineering tools and methods for structural modelling and design of new reinforced concrete infrastructure are mature, the methods and tools for modelling decades-long deterioration and maintenance are much less developed. An approach for modelling structural deterioration of reinforced concrete components due to reinforcement corrosion is presented and a procedure is introduced to estimate the time-dependent structural response, described using time-dependent seismic fragility curves. The approach is part of a multi-disciplinary framework which includes physical, chemical, and electrochemical processes at the meso-scale coupled with mechanical deterioration processes, which are modelled using finite element methods, at the macroscale. While not detailed in this paper, when the time-dependent assessment of structures is integrated with life cycle assessment models that quantify the economic, environmental, and social impacts of infrastructure, the result is a comprehensive assessment methodology for the sustainability of deteriorating reinforced concrete infrastructure.