Abstract
The study of moisture movement in concrete under the influence of a service environment is vital for the assessment of its probable degradation. An aspect of significance in this regard is the delineation of the near-surface depth, which remains exposed to moisture penetration. The influence of invading moisture renders the reinforcement laid within this zone vulnerable to the risk of corrosion, known to be the most prevalent cause of premature distress in reinforced concrete elements. This study analyses numerically the phenomenon of moisture ingress in concrete subjected to intermittent rainfall events—an exposure typical of tropical climates. The exposure scenarios considered in this study pertain to the composite tropical climate of New Delhi (India) and have been quantified based on the statistical analysis of 15 years’ rainfall data. The moisture transport process in an unsaturated concrete medium has been represented with a modified form of Richard’s equation. Analysis of the modified model has been carried out using a transient, non-linear, one-dimensional finite element (FE) scheme. A simulation of the moisture ingress phenomena has been demonstrated by adopting relevant material properties from the published literature. Observations reveal that a depth of 20 to 55 mm in exposed concrete remains susceptible to the ingress of water under the influence of extreme rainfall conditions.
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