Application of inverse methodology to estimation of chloride diffusion coefficient in concrete of prestressed precast slab

Work presents an investigation of chloride penetration of HC-500 prestressed concrete slabs made of precast concrete. This type of concrete slabs is widely used to construct floors in steel or reinforced concrete framing buildings. In such solutions ceiling can be considered as a simple-supported beam. Considered precast concrete was made of C50/C60 concrete with use of Portland cement CEM II 52.5 R. Investigated specimens were sampled directly from the upper part of prestressed concrete slabs. The process of chloride penetration in concrete can be described by the nonlinear diffusion equation. In the paper Bayesian inverse technique was applied to estimate diffusion coefficient of chloride in concrete treated as a saturated porous material. Unknown distribution of estimated parameters was sampled with use of Metropolis-Hastings algorithm which allowed us to obtain unknown values and their error bounds. Obtained values of diffusion coefficient were confronted against values obtained with use of norms: NT BUILD 443 and ASTM C 1556 -03 and against previously developed methodology based on the analytical solution of the diffusion equation.