ABSTRACT
Within the framework of durability design (e.g. fib Model Code for Service Life Design), it has not yet been considered that reinforced concrete structures are usually exposed to a combined action of environmental effects and mechanical loads. Several studies on this subject have already shown that mechanical loads can influence the ingress of corrosion-initiating substances into concrete components to varying degrees. In this paper an innovative test method is presented, which allows a statistically well-founded investigation of the influence of moderate static tensile stresses on simultaneous carbonation or chloride ingress in reinforced concrete specimens representative for structural elements of nuclear power plants. This is achieved by testing large-scale specimens on which a relatively uniform and constant bending stress state is generated by eccentric pre-stressing.
