Reliability of reinforced concrete structures under chemical-physical attack

Both concrete deterioration and steel corrosion are major problems affectin g an increasing number of reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, a unified approach, based on a coupled damage model is presented which is abl e to evaluate the strength reduction and the reliability of the structures. The effects of chemical attack on concrete (e.g. expansive sulfate/chlorid e reaction) are analyzed and considered in the numerical model. Moreover, t he deterioration of reinforced concrete structures due to corrosion of stee l reinforcement is included in the analysis. The results indicate a sharp r eduction in the load-bearing capacity of beams subjected to chemical-physic al attack and a progressive loss in the ductility. The possibility of using such an approach for service life prediction is also investigated and some examples are presented.