Skip to main content
Publications | Persons | Institutes | Projects
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Influence of cracks on the service life of concrete structures in a marine environment
Audenaert, K.; Marsavina, L.; De Schutter, G. (2009). Influence of cracks on the service life of concrete structures in a marine environment, in: Marsavina, L. (Ed.) Advances in Strength of Materials. Key Engineering Materials, 399: pp. 153-160. https://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.399.153
In: Marsavina, L. (Ed.) (2009). Advances in Strength of Materials. Key Engineering Materials, 399. Trans Tech Publications ltd: Stafa-Zürich. ISBN 978-0-87849-351-7. 230 pp., more
In: Key Engineering Materials. Trans Tech Publications: Ädermannsdorf. ISSN 0252-1059; e-ISSN 1013-9826, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 
Document type: Conference paper

Keyword
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Audenaert, K., more
  • Marsavina, L.
  • De Schutter, G., more

Abstract
    Chloride initiated reinforcement corrosion is the main durability problem for concrete structures in a marine environment. If the chlorides reach the reinforcement steel, it will depassivate and start to corrode in presence of air and water. Since the corrosion products have a larger volume than the initial products, concrete stresses are induced, leading to spalling and degradation of the concrete structures. If cracks, caused by early drying, thermal effects, shrinkage movements or overstress, are present in the concrete, the penetration of chlorides is much faster compared to uncracked concrete. In this way, the corrosion process is initiated earlier and the service life is decreasing drastically. In order to study the influence of existing cracks in concrete structures on the penetration of chlorides a test program was set up at the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research of Ghent University, Belgium in cooperation with the "Politehnica" University of Timisoara, Romania. The first part of the test program consists of concrete specimens with artificial cracks. The chloride penetration into the concrete was realised with a non-steady state migration test and modelled with the finite element method COSMOS/FFE Thermal software. Based on the experimental and numerical results, a crack influencing factor was determined. With this factor, the resulting service life of the cracked concrete construction is determined and compared with the original service life.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors