COST-EFFECTIVE ENHANCEMENT OF DURABILITY OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES B INTELLIGENT USE OF STAINLESS STEEL REINFORCEMENT

Reinforced concrete has been used successfully in the constructio industry since the beginning of this Century. At present a large number of reinforced commercial buildings, domestic dwellings, ma 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. annual cost of repair work on concrete structures is now in exces US$5 billion in Western Europe alone. Stainless steel reinforceme products have developed considerably and a wide range of alloys t 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 combination with carbon steel bars for concrete repairs. The pape also focuses on the unfounded fear of using both stainless steel carbon steel in the same concrete structure. Further, the paper s that intelligent use of stainless steel (use of stainless steel i critical areas due to deterioration or accessibility) for repair deteriorated concrete structures is a cost-effective option when considering various rehabilitation alternatives. For the coverin abstract see ITRD E117314.