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TENTATIVE DESIGN LIFE OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES:

BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

Conference Paper · January 2019

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 Proceedings, International Conference on Disaster Risk Management,
Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 12-14, 2019

TENTATIVE DESIGN LIFE OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES:

BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

T. Torsha1, F. A. Khan2, M. J. Hasan3, R. Mutsuddy4 and T. Manzur5

ABSTRACT

Prediction of design life of any structure, particularly under adverse conditions, is of immense importance
for ensuring required durability standard. Reinforced concrete (RC) structures near coastal regions are
always susceptible to chloride induced corrosion and often, if not properly proportioned, suffer from reduced
design life. Similar degradation of RC structure is also common in the southern belt of Bangladesh.
However, there is no definite guideline available in local codes to address the service life issues of RC
structures subjected to harsh environment. In this article, an attempt has been made to discuss the procedure
of evaluating tentative design service life of RC structure of the country following relevant international
standards. However, the available international standards are based on site specific construction practice and
quality of concrete constituents. It is therefore, extremely important to understand the cautious utilization of
various parameters of such codes. The quality of concrete mix is found to the most influencing factor
affecting the service life for a particular location since environmental parameters are more or less identical if
temporal variation is not considered. Hence, service life of RC structures has also been predicted based on
quality of some common concrete mixes of the country following the discussed procedure.

Keywords: RC Structure; Service Life; Prediction; Corrosion; Chloride

Introduction

Forecasting design life of concrete structure is of immense importance to ensure required durability.
Corrosion is one of the prime concerns regarding durability of reinforced concrete (RC) structures
particularly in aggressive conditions like-coastal areas (Manzur et al., 2017; Angst, 2011). Under such
environment, RC structures are always susceptive to chloride induced corrosion. The high permeability of
concrete structures and resulting high amount of chlorine ingress lead to corrosion of embedded
reinforcement (Lai et al., 2013). The ingress of chloride reduces the corrosion initiation time and as a
consequence, RC structures may face premature failure causing reduced design life than expected (Page,
1996). The RC structures in the southern belt of Bangladesh often experience similar distressed condition
(Manzur at al., 2018; Baten et al., 2016). However, the demand for building durable structures is constantly
increasing and the focus is shifting towards extending the service life of concrete infrastructure especially in
marine regions. The extension of service life is also important considering the high cost of maintenance and
repair of distressed structures (Clifton, 1993) and the indirect costs associated with traffic delays and lost
productivity in case of highway bridges. Such delays on highways has been estimated to cost as high as 10
times the direct costs associated with corrosion related structural damages from life cycle analysis
(Yunovich et al. 2002). It is therefore, obvious that service life extension with proper proportioning of
materials should be given utmost priority as compared to any repair and rehabilitation technique. However,
there is no particular approach available in local guidelines to address service life issues of RC structures due
to chloride induced corrosion. Hence, globally accepted international codes need to be followed to predict
service life of different types of RC structures of the country. In this study, an attempt has been made to
determine probable service life of some common concrete mixes of the country following the fib code (fib
Bulletin 34, 2006). The procedure is discussed in rational details and various parameters affecting the service
life are explained. It has been found that the chloride permeability of the concrete mix and aging factor of the
concrete are the two most important factors significantly influencing the corrosion initiation of embedded
rebar (fib Bulletin 76, 2015; Hasan, 2018). On the other hand, concrete cover has major influence on crack
initiation and propagation time (Wang et al., 2010). The study also provides a general understanding on the

1,2
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BUET, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
3
Grraduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BUET, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
4
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BUET, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
5
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BUET, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Email of Corresponding Author –tmanzur.buet@gmail.com
 Tentative Design Life of Reinforced Concrete Structures: Bangladesh Perspective
T. Torsha1, F. A. Khan2, M. J. Hasan3, R. Mutsuddy4and T. Manzur5

effect of different parameters of some common concrete mixes of the country on service life of a structure.
The PCC cement based concrete has been found to be exhibited significantly higher service life than that of
OPC concrete in extreme conditions. In several cases, the OPC concrete failed to exhibit expected medium
to long design life of RC structure. This study is important due to the paucity of such corrosion related
serviceability data of concrete mixes of the country. The findings are expected to motivate practicing
engineers to become cautious in selecting proper concrete mixes particularly in extreme surroundings.
However, only a limited number of concrete mixes are considered in this article. More researches are
necessary in this field in order to have a holistic idea. It should be understood that necessary focus must be
given on durability based design for ensuring long term sustainability of RC structure that are subjected to
harsh conditions like marine environment.

Experimental Program

The following sections summarize the experimental program, carried out during this research task.

Mix Design Details

A total number of 10 concrete mixes were considered for this study, following typical volumetric ratio of
1:1.5:3 and with moderate cement content (419 kg/m3). However, water cement (w/c) ratio were kept
variant within the range of 0.42~0.55 in order to observe their impact on concrete permeability and
therefore, in service life of a particular mix. Two types of locally available cement-Ordinary Portland
Cement (OPC) and Portland Composite Cement (PCC) were used. As for coarse and fine aggregate, ¾ inch
downgraded stone aggregate (unit weight of 1470 kg/m3) and Sylhet sand (unit weight of 1490 kg/m3) were
used, respectively. Cylindrical specimens were cast for both compressive strength measurement (ASTM
C39, 2014) and migration test (NT BUILD 492, 1999). All the concrete cylinders were of diameter 100mm
and height 200mm and cured by submerging them in a pond of lime water solution.

Compressive Strength Measurement

Concrete cylinders of diameter 100 mm and height 200 mm were tested for compressive strength as
prescribed in the standard ASTM C39 (2014). The samples were tested using a universal testing machine
after 28 days of curing.

Rapid Migration Test

During this study, the concrete resistance to chloride ingress was determined in terms of diffusion or
migration coefficients from a rapid migration test as specified in NT BUILD 492 (1999). The principle
involves forcing chloride ions from an outside source into the specimen by applying external electrical
potential. First, a 100mm x 200mm cylinder was cut into 50mm thick slices as stated in NT Build 492
(1999). Then, the specimen was surface dried and colored along the side to prevent any kind of permeation
through sides.

(a) (b)
Figure 1: a) Desiccator, b) Migration Test Setup

This specimen, upon drying of the applied color, was placed inside a desiccator (Figure 1.a) for vacuum
 Proceedings, International Conference on Disaster Risk Management,
Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 12-14, 2019

treatment upto 18~20 hrs. During this vacuum process two end surfaces of the specimen were kept exposed.
After the 18~20 hrs elapsed, the specimen was placed inside the setup (shown in Figure 1.b) and tested for
rapid chloride migration as per the procedure and for the duration described in NT Build 492 (1999). After
completion of the test, the chloride penetration depth and ultimately, diffusion coefficient was measured
following the methodology and equations specified in the aforementioned code.

Service Life Evaluation

When a concrete structure is exposed to a marine environment like the southern belt of Bangladesh, it’s
service life primarily depends on the time required to initiate the corrosion of rebar and the time to occur
severe damage due to the initiated corrosion process. For this study, service life for different types of
concrete were predicted in terms of corrosion initiation time, crack initiation time and crack propagation
time. The relevant equations and affecting parameters with their corresponding values are given below. In
order to consider environmental impact, the exposure was considered to be similar to that of XS2 type as
described in fib 76 (2015). The XS2 exposure includes marine structures near tidal or splash zone and
subjected to cyclic wet and dry condition.

Corrosion Initiation Time

In case of chloride induced corrosion, the time required for the accumulation of the chloride ions inside the
concrete to the critical level is defined as the corrosion initiation time (Wang et al., 2010; fib Bulletin 34,
2006). Corrosion initiation time (t) was calculated based on the model developed by Duracrete (1998) and
available in fib Bulletin 34(2006):
⎡ ⎤
𝑥 − ∆𝑥
𝐶𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 = 𝐶𝑜 + (𝐶𝑠, ∆𝑥 − 𝐶𝑜) ⎢1 − erf ⎛ ⎞⎥ (1)
⎢ ⎥
2. 𝐾𝑒. 𝐾𝑡. ( ) . 𝐷𝑟𝑐𝑚(𝑡𝑜). 𝑡
⎣ ⎝ ⎠⎦
Here,
Diffusion Coefficient at time to, Drcm (m2/s) from diffusion coefficient tests as per NT BUILD 492 (1999).
Time to initiate corrosion at a distance x from concrete surface, t (years)
Concrete cover, x (mm)
Environmental Variable, 𝐾 = 𝑒𝑥𝑝 [𝑏 − ] (2)
Depth of Convection Zone, ∆x (mm) = 10 mm (for XS2)
Regression Variable, be (oK) = 4800
Temperature of the Ambient, Treal = 303 oK
Standard Test Temperature, Tref = 303 oK
Aging Exponent, α or a = 0.6 (PCC) and 0.3 (OPC)
Chloride Concentration, Ccritor CDc,t(% by weight of cement) = 0.6
Initial Chloride Concentration, Co (% by weight of cement) = 0.1
Chloride Concentration at ∆x, C∆x,S(% by weight of cment) = 2
Reference (RMT test) Time, to = 45 days

Crack Initiation Time

Time to crack initiation is usually considered to be the time from corrosion initiation by depassivation of
protective layer to the initiation of first crack (Wang et al., 2010). For this study, crack initiation time (t1st)
was calculated based on the model suggested by El Maaddawy and Soudki (2007).

. ( )( ) .
𝑡 = +( )(
(3)
. . )

( )
Constant Ψ = [ (
)]
)
(4)
Here,
Diameter of Reinforcing Bar, D (mm)
Concrete cover, C (mm)
 Tentative Design Life of Reinforced Concrete Structures: Bangladesh Perspective
T. Torsha1, F. A. Khan2, M. J. Hasan3, R. Mutsuddy4and T. Manzur5

Concrete tensile strength, Ft (MPa)

Effective Elastic Modulus, Eef
Thickness of the Porous Zone around the Rebar, δ0 = 0.015mm
Poisson's Ratio of Concrete, ν = 0.2
Corrosion Current Density @ Temperature 200C, icorr-20 = 6.035μA/cm2

Crack Propagation Time

The time required for the crack propagation spans from the time since corrosion initiation to the time to
reach a limit crack width (in this case 1 mm) (Wang et al., 2010; Mullard and Stewart, 2009). Here, the time
from corrosion cracking initiation to the time required to reach a certain crack width for constant corrosion
rate (icorr-20) is evaluated based on the model suggested by Mullard and Stewart (2009).

. .
𝑇 = 𝐾𝑟. [( )] (5)
. . ( ) ,

Cover Cracking Parameter,Ψ = [ ] (6)

.
.
Cracking rate, r (crack) (mm/hr)= 0.0008. 𝑒 (7)
( . . ) ,
𝐾𝑟 = .95[exp { ( )
}−{ } + 0.3] (8)
. ,
Here
Crack Propagation time, Tsev(years)
Concrete cover, C (mm); Bar Diameter, D (mm)
Concrete tensile strength, Ft (MPa)
Crack width, w = 0.1 mm
Confinement Factor, kc = 1.4
Model Error for rate of Crack Propagation, ME.r(crack) = 1.04
Accelerated Corrosion Rate, icorr-exp = 100 μA/cm2
Corrosion Current Density @ Temperature 200C, icorr-20 = 6.035 μA/cm2

Results and Discussion

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate service life of some common concrete mixes based on
their mix quality and resistance to chloride ion ingress. Hence, the diffusion coefficient values of these
mixes were determined through rapid migration test and later, coefficient values were utilized in calculating
the time required to initiate corrosion. This initiation time constitutes the majority of the total service life of
a RC structure, exposed to a harsh marine environment. Thereafter, crack initiation and propagation upto a
code specified failure limit follow. This study involves service life evaluation of stone aggregate concretes,
prepared using OPC and PCC for varying w/c ratios. Due to later age hydration and better pore refinement
capability, concrete mixes with PCC can be presumed to perform better in resisting any kind of adverse
impact of chloride permeation, as compared to their OPC counterparts. Figure 2 shows the effect of OPC and
PCC usage on the ultimate service life of stone aggregate RC element with 75mm cover (code specified for
extreme conditions) and extreme exposure (XS2) for varying w/c ratios. Based on this graphical
representation it can be presumed that the usage of PCC increases the ultimate service life of stone aggregate
concrete (with concrete cover of 75 mm and extreme exposure) about 40~41 times, on average, with respect
to that of OPC. In all cases, PCC concrete exhibited significantly higher life expectancy (values greater than
200 years) whereas, all OPC concrete mixes failed to attain, even, a medium life expectancy of 50 years.
These observations, eventually, confirm the aforementioned presumption regarding better performance of
PCC concrete. The factors that contribute to such discrepancies are, considerably lower diffusion coefficient
and higher aging exponent values of PCC concrete. PCC contains supplementary cementitious materials like
fly ash which hydrate at later age due to presence of pozzolanic silica and eventually, refine the micropores
and improve the packing capacity. As a result, concrete mixes with PCC were observed to be better at
resisting chloride ion ingress and yielded lower diffusion coefficient values. As for aging exponent values
(α) in case of extreme marine exposure, fib 34 (2006) specified the value to be 0.6 for composite cement
containing fly ash whereas, in case of OPC, it is 0.3. The higher value signifies ongoing hydration even at
later ages resulting in a concrete with less amount of inter connected pores and thus, with increased
resistance to corrosion initiation when subjected to a harsh marine environment (fib 76, 2015).The study also
revealed considerable impact of concrete cover on the serviceability of a RC element. As demonstrated in
Figure 3, increase in concrete cover values from 50mm to 75mm results in about 10.5~11 times better
 Proceedings, International Conference on Disaster Risk Management,
Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 12-14, 2019

service life, in case of PCC concrete. In case of OPC mixes the improvement was observed to be about 2.5~3
times which is, considerably, less prominent than their PCC counterparts.

1200
Stone OPC
1000 Stone PCC
Linear (Stone OPC)

Service Life, years

800 Linear (Stone PCC)

600

400

200

0
0.4 0.44 0.48 0.52 0.56

w/c ratio
Figure 2: Service life of RC element with stone aggregate and 75 mm concrete cover for OPC and PCC

1200 16
1000 14
Service life, years

12
Service life, years

800
10
600 8
400 6
4
200
2
0 0
0.42 0.45 0.48 0.5 0.55 0.42 0.45 0.48 0.5 0.55
w/c ratio w/c ratio
50 mm concrete cover 75 mm concrete cover 50 mm concrete cover 75 mm concrete cover
(a) (b)
Figure 3: Effect of varying concrete cover on service life of RC element-a) with PCC and stone aggregate and
b) with OPC and stone aggregate

Conclusions

The essence of this study is to introduce the concept of serviceability evaluation of a RC structure or element
when subjected to a harsh marine environment. The evaluation was based upon quality assessment of some
locally used concrete mixes, in terms of corrosion resistance using code specified values. The study revealed
prominent impact of migration or diffusion coefficient and aging exponent values, both of which greatly
depend upon the types of binding material, on the service life of RC element under extreme saline exposure.
PCC mixes, owing to its lower diffusion coefficients and higher aging exponent values, demonstrated
significantly better resistance to corrosion initiation and thus, higher service life. In addition to diffusion
coefficient and aging exponent, concrete cover also affects a structure’s service life significantly. However,
in case of mixes containing PCC, the impact can be perceived to be more noticeable than that of OPC. This
paper provides a comparative analysis of some locally used mixes in terms of serviceability that might
motivate a field engineer in choosing durable material and concrete mixes for extreme surroundings.
Nevertheless, further research, involving a probabilistic approach with higher sample size, is essential to
obtain complete understanding of the serviceability concept.
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Tentative Design Life of Reinforced Concrete Structures: Bangladesh Perspective

T. Torsha1, F. A. Khan2, M. J. Hasan3, R. Mutsuddy4and T. Manzur5

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