Vulnerability assessment of deteriorating reinforced concrete structures

Reinforcement corrosion in concrete is the predominant causal factor for the premature deterioration of reinforced concrete structures, causing various degrees of damage to the structure and leading to ultimate structural collapse. The existence of reinforcement corrosion makes reinforced concrete structures increasingly vulnerable over time. This evidently poses a potential risk to the public. The intention of the present paper is to propose a method to assess the vulnerability of reinforced concrete structures deteriorating over time due to reinforcement corrosion. The application of the proposed method to corrosion affected flexural members is demonstrated. It is found that corrosion induced deterioration is the most important single factor that makes reinforced concrete structures vulnerable. The method presented in the paper can equip engineers, operators and asset managers with confidence in developing a risk-informed maintenance strategy in the asset management of corroded concrete infrastructure. Timely maintenance and repairs have the potential to prolong the service life of infrastructure.