Summary of methodology to determine service life

When presented with a corroding structure we can determine its condition by measuring the chloride profiles, carbonation depths and cover depths. From this we can calculate diffusion rates of the carbonation front or the chloride threshold and estimate the initiation time To. Both an average and a distribution of Tq values can be derived. 

By measuring corrosion rates over a period of time we can estimate the time to cracking and knowing the distribution of corrosion rates, cover depths, etc. a cracking rate can be established by adding the time to cracking to the initiation time. An empirical condition curve can be calculated and the time taken to reach an unacceptable level can be determined. 

---