A study on the effects of seawater on the durable life of concrete structures(II)

Recently, large scale concrete structures such as nuclear power plants and offshore structures are actively being built in this country. These structures are subject to heavy attack due to seawater environment. A reasonable consideration for corrosion has not been paid to the structures in the past decades due to insufficient research data and guidelines. The durability is emerging as one of the most important factors. In the design and construction of concrete structures. The purpose of the present study is, therefore, to explore the corrosion mechanism and penetration mechanism of chloride ion, and to establish the evaluation procedure of durability life of concrete structures. In this study, the chloride ion concentration of seawater around our country have been analyzed and the deterioration mechanism of concrete structures have been also analyzed. The penetration mechanism of seawater into the concrete has been also studied. To this end, a comprehensive experimental program has been setup. The major test variables include the type of cement and the type of mineral admixture. The strength test as well as corrosion test have been conducted to explore the effects of chloride ion penetration on the properties of concrete. The corrosion mechanism and the penetration of chloride ion into concrete structures have been studied. These results will allow the estimation of durable life of concrete structures in nuclear power plants. The experimental results and the developed theory in the present study can be efficiently used to analyze the chloride ion penetration and to estimate the durability of concrete structures In nuclear power plants. The present study may also provide strong basis to evaluate the remaining service life of concrete structures in nuclear power plants