ABSTRACT
For many designers and asset owners, the timing of maintenance and repair for reinforced concrete (RC) bridges can be a major economic and logistical consideration. The primary cause of deterioration in RC bridge decks is poor concrete durability (low concrete quality and/or insufficient cover) leading to reinforcement corrosion. The corrosion products have a volume three to six times greater than the original steel, leading to tensile stresses within the concrete and resulting in longitudinal cracking and spalling at the surface. This type of deterioration is of significant concern to asset owners, and it is estimated that at the time of severe cracking the structural capacity is reduced by no more than 10 to 20% so at the time of severe cracking loss of safety is not significant. Hence, it is appropriate to view severe cracking as an important and costly mode of failure for the estimation of service life of RC structures.
