PREDICTION OF CORROSION-FREE SERVICE LIFE OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES ALONG COASTAL REGIONS: A NUMERICAL FRAMEWORK

Chloride-induced rebar corrosion in concrete along coastal regions is currently a serious problem in the world. To estimate the corrosion-free service life of concrete structures, this study proposes an effective numerical framework through a combination of finite element and finite difference scheme. By considering the presence of rebars in concrete and by incorporating enhanced parameter prediction models, this framework solves the associated mass transport partial differential equations representing the process of chloride ingress in concrete. It is observed that, in addition to water-binder ratio and cover depth, the sustenance of corrosion-free service life of concrete under chloride environment is significantly governed by rebar size and its locations. Moreover, estimated time-variant reductions in cross-sectional area of longitudinal rebar and flexural capacity of the reinforced concrete beam show a clear change in slope, when the middle bars start corroding.