A stochastic method to assess life cycle performance of concrete structures

Since material degradation is inevitable in reinforced concrete structures more attention should be drawn to the maintenance and repairs of the structure. This has, in essence, raised an issue of life cycle performance evaluation of concrete structures. The present paper is concerened with the development of a reliability-based method to assess the life cycle performance of concrete structures, and to predict maintenance and repair times and ultimately the service life of concrete structures. In the paper a stochastic model for structural deterioration is proposed from the investigation of material degradation. Based on the model, reliability analysis of deteriorating structures is presented, and the maintenance and repair times and ultimately the service life of the structures are predicted. The proposed method can be used as a tool for rating and benchmarking of concrete structures, which may assist management in decision-making regarding their maintenance and rehabilitation.