Chloride Limits and Thresholds for Concrete: Perspectives in Laboratory Testing and Modeling Techniques-Threshold Values in Concrete—A Look Back and Ahead (Recorded presentation)

Threshold Values in Concrete—A Look Back and Ahead (Recorded presentation)

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The presentation discusses the challenge of determining reliable chloride threshold values for concrete structures, which play a crucial role in predicting corrosion initiation in reinforced concrete. Despite advancements, establishing correlations between chloride ingress and corrosion onset has proven difficult. The variability in laboratory and field results is attributed in part to differences in the testing methods, which can significantly influence outcomes. Recent studies in Switzerland highlight significant scatter in data, even when using real-world samples from structures like tunnels. The presentation suggests that current models, which focus mainly on chloride ingress, fail to capture critical factors influencing corrosion initiation, such as steel-concrete interface characteristics and the microstructure of reinforcement steel. The speaker emphasizes a need for a novel approach that considers these overlooked parameters to more accurately predict corrosion initiation and warns against applying current concepts to newly developed cementitious materials without a deeper understanding.

Keywords

chloride threshold

corrosion initiation

reinforced concrete

testing methods

steel-concrete interface