The Benefits of Testing and Monitoring the Durability of Concrete

Interactions between singular causes of deterioration of concrete structures are numerous and can greatly accelerate the overall rate of deterioration. Causes may relate to inadequacies in design and/or construction, or may result from aggressive agents acting on structures. The paper will discuss the need to improve the cost-effectiveness of investigations of structures to determine their condition. This may be achieved by the application of staged investigations, where in turn, the presence of a problem is identified, the cause or causes of the problem determined and the most appropriate solution to the problem selected. Case studies are presented that demonstrate the benefits of staged approaches to investigations. A great deal of the ideology currently used in the maintenance of structures needs to be changed.

• Introduction

• The Performance of Structures

• Causes of Deterioration

• The Need for Testing

• Assessing the Condition of Concrete Structures

• Post-Tensioned Bridge

• Conclusions

• References