Cost-effective Enhancement of Durability of Concrete Structures by Intelligent Use of Stainless Steel Reinforcement

Reinforced concrete has been used successfully in the construction industry since the beginning of this Century. At present a large number of reinforced commercial buildings, domestic dwellings, marine structures, bridges, etc., are starting to show serious signs of deterioration, particularly those over 30 years of age. This deterioration is mainly caused by corrosion of the reinforcement. The annual cost of repair work on concrete structures is now in excess of US$ 5 billion in Western Europe alone. Stainless steel reinforcement products have developed considerably and a wide range of alloys today offer a total solution for providing corrosion-free reinforced concrete structures. The paper presents both a capital cost and a life-cycle cost analysis in the case when stainless steel is used in combination with carbon steel bars for concrete repairs. The paper also focuses on the unfounded fear of using both stainless steel and carbon steel in the same concrete structure. Further, the paper shows that intelligent use of stainless steel (use of stainless steel in critical areas due to deterioration or accessibility) for repair of deteriorated concrete structures is a cost-effective option when considering various rehabilitation alternatives.