Uncertainty Impact of the Effective Diffusion Coefficient on the Concrete Chemical Degradation

Abstract

Reinforced concrete is the construction material widely used in civil engineering. However, knowledge of its long-term performance and the uncertain impact of the environment on his behaviour make it difficult to accurate assessment of the durability of structures with time. When a structure is put into service, it is likely to damage, which origin can be physical, mechanical or chemical. Chemical factors are frequently the most important, since the concrete can be degraded by reaction (dissolution, swelling) of the concrete constituents. In this paper, a probabilistic formulation is applied to carbonation phenomenon and statistics regarding carbonation time required for the carbonation depth reaches the reinforcement concrete are investigated by performing a parametric analysis which integrates the influence of variation of porosity and effective diffusion coefficient of carbonic gas.