A review of numerical simulation technique in durability issues of cementitious materials

As the most common construction materials, cementitious materials such as mortar and concrete are widely used throughout the world, especially in China. The durability issues of these materials during the service life are of great importance to the life-cycle design and maintenance. Chloride ingress, concrete carbonation, alkaline silica reaction (ASR), freezing and thawing, rebar corrosion, etc. are most common problems to reinforced structures (RC). The accurate prediction of the time-dependent progress of these phenomena during the service life of RC structures is a critical concern to optimize the maintenance strategy. In spite of the convenience to use, existing empirical or semi-empirical models have typical assumptions and are not flexible to deal with complex cases. The numerical simulation technique, therefore, can be used as an alternative. This study reviews the recent development of the numerical simulation technique in durability issues of cementitious materials. The chloride ingress, concrete carbonation and rebar corrosion are main concerns of this study. The universal framework, mathematical and physical essences and solvers of the numerical simulation technique are included. The shortcomings and possible solutions are also discussed. Through this review, it is expected that the readers can have an overall understanding on the necessity and power of the numerical simulation technique in life-cycle design and maintenance.