Reinforced concrete bridge exposed to extreme maritime environmental conditions and mechanical damage: Measurements and numerical simulation

Abstract

Although the durability mechanics models have been significantly improved in the last four decades, their application on real-life structures is still a challenging task. For their reliable application the verification is required on a real structure accounting for different exposure time and micro-climate conditions. The paper provides a brief overview of in-service performance of the Krk Bridge on the Croatian Adriatic coast, where combination of aggressive maritime environment, inadequate durability design and poor construction quality has led to rapid deterioration of the structure caused by corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete. Measured values of chloride content in concrete for different structural elements and micro-climate conditions after 14 and 20 years of exposure to sea are presented and discussed. Chloride content in concrete is compared with the results of numerical simulation of transport of chlorides through concrete cover using recently developed 3D chemo-hygro-thermo-mechanical model. The numerical results are in good agreement with the data measured on the bridge. This leads to the conclusion that the model is able to realistically predict service life of reinforced concrete structures exposed to chlorides and mechanical damages. It is shown that the micro-climate parameters, such as wind direction and speed, and cracks in concrete significantly affect the chloride content in concrete.