Overview and Evaluation Protocol of Service-Life Models

Concrete is the most widely used construction material and can be durable for hundreds of years; however, the main cause of concrete deterioration is from corrosion of reinforcing steel. Steel is thermodynamically unstable and will eventually oxidize to a lower energy state. The rate of deterioration in new and existing structures can be modeled to predict the service life based on the severity of the service environment, the concrete quality, the ingress of deleterious materials, and other factors to various degrees of success. This presentation will provide an overview of many of the service life models currently in use and provide an evaluation protocol for their application related to both new and existing structures.  

Learning Objectives:  

1. Provide a basic understanding of concrete deterioration
2. Show service-life model types, components and inputs
3. Demonstrate Life 365 model
4. Illustrate how repairs reset the durability timeline