Durability design of infrastructure and some related issues

Abstract

The life cycle performance of any infrastructure should be taken into consideration in its design, its construction, its maintenance, its operation, and when needed, its rehabilitation. The protection of infrastructure must be holistic, taking into account long-term socioeconomic and environmental considerations and the impact of the global climate change. Fulfilling the requirements of the ultimate and serviceability limit states over the service life of the facility requires an understanding of the use of the system, the deterioration response of the materials and their components when subjected to aggressive environments, and how this deterioration can be prevented or significantly delayed by preventive, remedial, and routine maintenance. The composition, microstructure, macrostructure, and various modes of deterioration of materials used in construction (steel, wood, concrete) are reviewed, along with possible remedial measures. The development of concrete as a construction material, its durability, and the relevant durability provisions in the various Canadian Standards Association standards are reviewed briefly. Current European practice and the 1990 Comité Euro-International du béton Design Guide for Durable Concrete Structures are evaluated. The engineer's responsibility for durable performance of a facility and the importance of durability audits are also examined.Key words: aggressive environment, construction materials, deterioration, durability, durability audits, life cycle performance, macrostructure, microstructure, socioeconomic and environmental considerations, sustainability.