Design model for reinforcement corrosion

The performance-based durability design of reinforced concrete structures for corrosion of reinforcement is currently limited to the initiation period. That includes modelling the transport processes of chlorides and carbon dioxide into the concrete structure. Up to now, the subsequent time period after depassivation of the reinforcement, in which corrosion propagates, could not be modelled in a comparable manner. The task of the research project presented here, which was part of German Research Unit 537, was to develop a design model that enables a reinforced concrete structure to be designed against reinforcement corrosion for its entire service life. Therefore, a physically well-defined damage model for corrosion propagation was chosen as a basis. All system parameters in the damage model were investigated on the basis of numerical and laboratory studies carried out in the subprojects of the research unit. Statistical analysis allowed the simplification of the complex damage model into a user-friendly design model. This paper presents the working steps, the basic results of the analysis and the user-friendly full-probabilistic design model for reinforcement corrosion.