Soran University Civil engineering Mahir Ayub Kareem

Explore the problems of concrete and find solutions for them

An ever-evolving world requires ever-evolving construction methods.

One of the most widely used materials for construction is concrete. This
is due not only to the wide range of applications that concrete offers, but
also its great strength, affordability, durability, and versatility.
Concrete is the only major building material that can be delivered to the
job site in a plastic state. This unique quality makes concrete desirable
as a building material because it is able to be molded to virtually any
form or shape. Concrete is also designed to permit reliable and high
quality fast-track construction. Structures built with concrete are more
durable and can be engineered to withstand earthquakes, hurricanes,
typhoons and tornadoes. This is an amazing advancement. With all the
scientific advances there are in this world, there still has not been a way
of preventing nature's damage. Whatever science could not do, concrete
did. This essay will describe the problems of concrete specially the
reinforced corrosion and it is going to find the solution for this problem.
The reason of this essay is to discuss the concrete problems and to
find solution for them .In this part of essay I am going to mention some
problems of concrete one of the most problems concrete is
reinforcement corrosion because of chloride and how solute that
problems

Chloride induced reinforcement corrosion is the main durability

problem for concrete structures in a marine environment. If the chlorides
reach the reinforcement steel, it will de passivity and start to corrode in
presence of air and water. Since the corrosion products have a larger
volume than the initial components, concrete stresses are induced,
leading to spelling and degradation of the concrete structures .The most
common transport mechanisms determining the chloride penetration
velocity are diffusion(chloride gradients in standing water), capillary
suction(chlorides transported with moving water) and permeation
(chlorides transported with water under pressure). All three transport
mechanisms may occur simultaneously. To simulate real chloride
penetration conditions in a tidal zone, a test method was developed,
immersing specimens in a solution containing chlorides and exposing
the specimens to air. The specimens are cylindrical with a diameter of
230 mm and a height of 70 mm. Each cycle takes approximately 1 hour,
1/3 wetting and 2/3 drying. In this test a complex combination of
diffusion, capillary suction, wetting and drying is created. After 6, 12, 18,
Soran University Civil engineering Mahir Ayub Kareem

24, 30 and 36 weeks the specimens are broken and the penetration
depth is determined with silver nitrate solution.
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) combines a high flow ability and a high
segregation resistance, obtained by a large amount of fine particles and
the use of super - plasticizers. As the concept of self-compacting
concrete is different from traditional concrete, changes in durability are
to be expected. As part of a larger project studying the durability of self-
compacting concrete, the chloride penetration in self-compacting
concrete was investigated. An experimental program was carried out on
16 self-compacting concrete mixes and 4 traditional concrete mixes.
Four types of cement and three types of filler (fly ash and two types of
limestone filler with a different grading curve) are implemented and the
influence of the amount of powder, the water/cement ratio and the
cement/powder ratio is studied.

In conclusion, this essay has discussed the all problems that

concrete may face it and it has founded the proper solution for this
problems, it has described the corrosion of reinforced concrete and
founded the solution for it , although concrete has some problems but it
is still the best building material that ever been used for the building
construction and scientists has founded the all solution for that problem
that concrete may face and due to that they have improved the
properties of concrete.

References
-concrete repair, rehabilitation and retrofitting 2
-design of reinforce concrete
- Standard Method of Detailing Structural Concrete