Justifying materials selection for reinforced concrete structures. I: Sensitivity analysis

A substantial amount of research has been performed on the use of high performance construction materials and their effects on the anticipated frequency of maintenance and on the time to repair or replacement. Practical implementation of this work has been limited due to the lack of useable methods and information on the life-cycle costs and benefits of alternative approaches in the preliminary design stages of projects, when decisions regarding materials selection are typically made. The lack of simple methods for making quick life-cycle economic comparisons typically results in the use of conventional materials because their impact on performance is well known, even though high-performance materials may actually be more cost effective. This paper identifies the most significant parameters for evaluating the time to corrosion of reinforced concrete structures.