Non-destructive material evaluation of a reinforced concrete viaduct: a practical methodology

The use of non-destructive tests for assessing the material status of concrete structures in the Netherlands remains relatively uncommon, despite the growing demand for the preservation of existing structures under the VenR policy of Rijkswaterstaat. Skepticism towards NDTs is reflected in the scarcity of documented case studies in publicly...

Numerical study of interactive ingress of calcium leaching, chloride transport and multi-ions coupling in concrete

In circumstances with wastewater and seawater, the behavior of multi-ions including calcium, chloride and others in concrete attracts attention. The present study investigated the multiple mechanisms that could happen under the special field situation above, including calcium leaching, chloride transport and multi-ion coupling. To realize the...

Numerical study on the chemical and electrochemical coupling mechanisms for concrete under combined chloride-sulfate attack

Cementitious materials exposed to marine and saline environments are commonly threatened by a combined attack of sulfate and chloride ions. This study developed a numerical framework to investigate two combined coupling mechanisms of 1) coupled solid-liquid chemical reactions for competitive chloride-sulfate attack and 2) electrostatic multi...

Investigating the extension of service life of box-beam bridge girders: And it's impact on circularity

The main motivation within this thesis is to explore the possibility of increasing the service life of box-beam bridge girders to aid the ambition of the Dutch government to become a circular economy. The construction industry still follows a more or less linear economy system. Many bridges in the Netherlands are approaching the end of their...

Multiscale modelling of chloride transport in cementitious materials at the atomic and pore network scales

To reduce the CO2 footprint of construction materials, concrete producers blend their cement with Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs). And even though such blended systems are eco-friendlier than the Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), they are required to respect standards. In this context, understanding and predicting the durability of...

Developing a generic approach to durability

Cementitious Materials become more diverse. In particular, to reduce the CO2 emissions associate with production, it is necessary to increase the levels of replacement of clinker by other materials. A critical consideration is to know how durable different materials will be. Most forms of degradation involve the ingress of different species into...

The role of the micron-scale in reactive transport processes

Quantitative predictions for durability issues are necessary to adapt the formulations of cement blends with novel supplementary cementitious materials. These predictions are usually carried out with reactive transport models which are solved at the macroscopic scale. Upscaling laws are necessary to ensure that effective transport properties...

Reactive Transport Modelling of Chloride Ingress in Saturated Coral Aggregate Concrete

Utilizing coral aggregate concrete (CAC) for construction on remote islands can significantly reduce construction cost and period, CO₂ emission, and consumption of non-renewable energy. The durability of reinforced CAC structures is critically influenced by their resistance to chloride attack. In this study, a reactive transport...

Durability of an UHPFRC under mechanical and chloride loads

The high cost of UHPFRC is a limitation on the practical application in real construction projects. However, a very competitive UHPFRC approach is the hybrid structural elements, where thin layers of UHPFRC are employed to rehabilitate/strengthen damage cover concrete. New layers subjected to harsh conditions (loads and/or environmental) can...

Numerical Study on Chloride Ingress in Cement-Based Coating Systems and Service Life Assessment

Chloride-induced corrosion is a critical issue for RC structures. Cement-based coatings can be used to protect concrete structures with unsatisfactory quality against chloride ingress. To evaluate the effectiveness of the coatings to extend the service life of coated concrete structures, the evolution of the chloride profile in the coated...

Chloride Ingress of Carbonated Blast Furnace Slag Cement Mortars

In the Netherlands civil engineering structures, such as overpasses, bridges and tunnels are generally built using blast furnace slag cement (BFSC, CEM III/B) concrete, because of its high resistance against chloride penetration. Although the Dutch experience regarding durability performance of BFSC concrete has been remarkably good, its...

Chloride ingress of carbonated blast furnace slag cement mortars

In the Netherlands infrastructural works, such as bridges and overpasses, are generally constructed using blast furnace slag cement (BFSC) concretes, because of the relative high resistance against chloride penetration from de-icing salts. However, sheltered elements constructed in BFSC concrete are prone to carbonation, for example abutments...

Incorporating cracking of concrete on chloride ingress and service life modeling of concrete structures

Chloride induced reinforcement corrosion is the most common degradation mechanisms for reinforced concrete structures. The service life of concrete structures is normally predicted by estimating the rate of chloride ingress and the necessary time to initiate reinforcement corrosion. Normally, chloride ingress is modeled as a diffusive process in...

Experimental and numerical investigation of chloride ingress in cracked concrete

Chloride induced corrosion of reinforcing steel is recognized as the most common deterioration mechanism affecting reinforced concrete structures. As such, it has been in focus of research for more than thirty years. Numerous studies of chloride ingress, corrosion initiation, and corrosion propagation have been conducted. Most studies of...

Chloride ingress in cracked concrete studied using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

Cracks are always present in reinforced concrete structures. It is a goal of the current research to study the influence of mechanical cracks on chloride ingress. A compact reinforced concrete specimen was designed, mimicking the cracking behaviour of beam elements. Cracks of different widths were induced by means of mechanical loading. These...