01155551

Component

Chloride-induced rebar corrosion could cause premature deterioration and reduce service life of highway reinforced concrete structures such as bridges and pavement slabs. This paper presents the results of a research study aiming at developing a stochastic finite element method to predict the service life of reinforced concrete. Starting from the mass conservation equation, the finite element (FE) method is used to model the ingress of multiple chemicals into variably saturated concrete matrix. The rebar corrosion is modeled using Faraday’s law and the incurred expansion of corrosion products is quantified in terms of a transient boundary displacement for subsequent analysis of concrete cracking. The cracking patterns of concrete under the expansion force of corrosion products are characterized using a cohesive fracture approach. Validated with laboratory experiments, the proposed numerical model is used to predict the service life of a bridge deck subjected to mixed localized and uniform corrosion. Different from the traditional deterministic approaches, this study predicts the service life of reinforced concrete structures in terms of their performance reliability. The proposed stochastic numerical model captures the critical issues involved in chloride-induced concrete deterioration and can be used to guide the maintenance and renewal activities of highway infrastructure in a more efficient way.

01147878

10-4028

English

15p

2010

Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures (7) ; References (15) ; Tables (2)

Bridges; Calcium chloride; Concrete; Corrosion; Cracking; Deterioration; Finite element method; Pavement cracking; Reinforced concrete; Reinforcing bars; Service life; Stochastic processes

Chloride ingress; Transportation infrastructure

Highways; Materials; Pavements; I32: Concrete; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2010 Paper #10-4028

TRIS, TRB

Jan 25 2010 12:04PM