ABSTRACT
The subject of durability is very important nowadays because all the industries should follow the rules of sustainable development. In this chapter, the harsh environments and their effects on the properties and durability of concrete structures are mentioned.
First, the parameters affecting concrete durability and also the concrete structures’ service life are introduced. Then the exposure classes for concrete in contact with the carbonation and minimum specifications of concrete to control the effect of carbonation are mentioned. Exposure to the chloride ion from sea water or the chloride other than sea water is the next subject of this chapter. The minimum specifications for concrete to control the effects of chloride ions on concrete structures are also mentioned.
The next subject is the durability of concrete structures against the sulfate ion and the minimum specifications of concrete to control the effects of the sulfate ion. Freeze-thaw resistance of concrete, exposure classes, and minimum specifications of concrete especially the amount of air inside concrete elements is the next subject mentioned in this chapter.
In the last part of the chapter, you can read about two examples of structures for the evaluation of minimum concrete specifications according to the environmental conditions. The first example is a bridge deck in north Europe and the second example is a commercial building in a big city near the China sea.
