Effect of curing conditions on the service life design of RC structures in the Persian Gulf region

Corrosion of reinforcement is the major cause of deterioration of concrete structures exposed to chloride in the Persian Gulf region. In this hot marine environment, curing is one of the crucial factors that can affect the chloride penetration into concrete and consequently the service life of reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, the values of diffusion coefficient and surface chloride content were determined in concrete specimens made of two mixture proportions, subjected to six initial alternate curing regimes and exposed to seawater in the Persian Gulf for three months. Finally, the effect of various curing regimes was investigated on the estimation of time-to-corrosion initiation of reinforced concrete structures using the DuraPGulf model. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561 (2008)20:1(2) CE Database subject headings: Durability; Corrosion; Coastal environment; Computer models; Chlorides; Concrete structures; Middle East.