Title:
Performance Evaluation of Code Approaches in Durability Design of Concrete Structures
Author(s):
Richard Cantin
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
10/25/2020
Abstract:
Codes are the most commonly used tool for the durability design of reinforced concrete structures. The different approaches mainly consist in selecting concrete properties and reinforcement cover based on generic environmental exposure categories. These approaches pretend that a service life (50, 75 or 100 years) will be achieved if the requirements are met. This durability design methodology appears way behind structural capacity design, where multiple parameters and finite-element modeling are often combined to reproduce actual conditions and allow to confirm with a reasonable confidence level that the structure will achieve the desired structural performance. Nowadays, durability requirements become increasingly stringent and a service life of 75 to 125 years is often seen in specifications. Some of these requirements may apply to rehabilitated structures, for which the in-place properties and contaminations must be considered. In those more complex cases, code prescriptions cannot be used and designers have recourse to modeling tools. This presentation will use different real-life projects, to compare what applicable codes would have required, what performance could have resulted and what the reality was. Finite-element durability modeling will be used to compare experimental values with calculated chloride contamination in as-required and as-built conditions (existing properties, cover and environment). The presentation will show shortcomings of the one-size-fits all approach of the codes and the importance of considering actual conditions in sound durability design.