Economic assessment of corrosion prevention measures in new structures

Chloride‐induced corrosion is a main cause of deterioration in reinforced concrete (RC). The premature deterioration of RC leads to unplanned repairs, hence elevating the direct and indirect costs of the RC infrastructure. The current prescriptive durability design approach has proven to be insufficient in assuring the durability of the RC exposed to chlorides. The objective of this study is an economical evaluation of several prevention measures for chloride‐induced corrosion following the performance‐based approach. A case study is inspired by a real set of RC columns, which suffered from chloride‐induced corrosion damage after 14 years in service. The considered prevention measures are the use of different binder systems, variation of the water/binder ratio, and changes in the concrete cover. To compare the obtained results, a reference design is set with a concrete mix and a cover thickness according to the requirements of the prescriptive approach described in the European standards. The results show that a balance between the binder type, concrete cover and water/binder ratio is necessary in order to optimize the costs while assuring the durability of the RC element.