Durability of RC Structures against Carbonation-Induced Corrosion under the Impact of Climate Change

Abstract

The factors associated with concrete carbonation can be classified in three major categories of environmental factors, concrete’s internal-structural factors, and construction-operation conditions. Climate change is expected to cause gradual change in many primary environmental factors, which may accelerate reinforcement corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Studies show that CO2 concentration in the atmosphere may rise from 379 ppm in 2005 to 1,000 ppm in 2100. Hence, adoption of suitable measures to protect exposed RC members against carbonation-induced corrosion is essential for countering the future environmental effects which, in turn, requires further investigation on the effect of critical structural factors, such as water-cement ratio and cement content in the concrete mix design, and construction-operation factors, such as concrete cover depth and surface protection, on the durability of RC members. In this study, these factors were investigated through Monte Carlo simulation. The results showed that slight adjustments in some structural and operational factors can significantly reduce the risk of corrosion initiation and ultimately improve the durability of concrete members against corrosion. The effect of each parameter on the probability of corrosion initiation during the design life of a RC structure was analyzed and interpreted using numerical examples.