Title:
Preserve and Conserve: Environmental Sustainability through Responsible Preservation
Author(s):
Venugopalan
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
ws_S25_Venugopalan.pdf
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
3/30/2025
Abstract:
Infrastructure preservation and environmental sustainability are decisively linked together. As numerous structures fall short of realizing full service life. Owners oftentimes pay double or triple the original costs based on realized actual life instead of achieving design service life. The hidden environmental cost of concrete and cement can further increase the effective cost. We delay repairs due to lack of funds until the damage is significant. Delaying repairs lead to risking failure or disruption to the users. Repairs in the past only addressed what was visible to the naked eye. Hidden problems surface soon after repairs are completed. This led to increased deterioration and shorter repair intervals and eventual replacement. Most deteriorating elements of the infrastructure were replaced well before the 75 year service life. There is increasing demand to achieve 100-year service life. There has been considerable research to understand the rate of deterioration and predict future concrete deterioration so that we can minimize the overall cost of the structure through its lifetime. The author will present the benefits selective use of NDT tools, targeted sampling, and testing, and employing predictive modeling/analysis can lead to minimizing cost and achieving sustainability.