MODELING OF CHLORIDE TRANSPORT IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Abstract

Chloride-induced corrosion of steel bar is one of the severe problems for long term durability of reinforced concrete structures. Modeling chloride diffusion in concrete structures is very useful for structural engineers and/or management agency for predicting the service life and scheduling the maintenance and/or rehabilitation plan of reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, a theoretical and computational model for chloride penetration into concrete structures is presented. The governing equations are accounted for the transport mechanism of chloride ions, moisture, and temperature. This is related to concrete structures which are always found in non-saturated and non-isothermal conditions. The coupled effects among chloride, moisture, and temperature are considered and included in the model. The coupling parameters are evaluated based on the available test data and incorporated in the governing equations. Then, the coupled partial differential equations are solved by the finite element method.