Concrete is the most widely used construction material and can be durable for hundreds of years; however, the largest cause of concrete deterioration is due to corrosion of reinforcing steel. Steel is thermodynamically unstable and will eventually oxidize to a lower energy state. The rate of deterioration in existing structures can be modeled to predict the service life of a given structure based on the service environment, concrete quality, chloride ingress, carbonation depth, corrosion rate measurements, and other factors to various degrees of success. Service life is defined as the remaining useful time for a structure based on the current deterioration rate without repairs. Through the assistance of commercialized software and models, the service life under the influence of corrosion can be estimated for maintenance to achieve the most economical solution. This paper will provide an overview of many of the service life models in use and industrial standards regarding structural deterioration.

Subject
Steel structures, Buildings, Costs, Materials, Diffusion, Machinery, Corrosion cracking, Corrosion modeling, Coating service life, Maintenance, Deterioration, Chlorides, Concrete
Keywords:
Corrosion, Concrete, Service Life
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2019
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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