Durability Design Criteria for Concrete Structures: An Overview of Existing Codes, Guidelines, and Specifications

Current demands on sustainability of the built environment have posed an increasing emphasis on durability of structures. In this light, the performance of RC structures with respect to durability will be assessed. Assessment of durability involves the understanding of the mechanisms related to the deterioration process and their modeling, identification of the main variables affecting the problem, and service-life prediction. This complex issue has been addressed in codes, guidelines, and specifications in different formats. In addition, because of the uncertainties in the variables related to the deterioration process, a probabilistic treatment of these uncertainties must be adopted in the durability assessment and service-life prediction of RC structures. In this appendix, some major codes, guidelines and specifications addressing the subject, and current formats and trends in the treatment of uncertainties in these documents are identified. The list of documents presented herein is not exhaustive; rather it represents major trends in the treatment of the durability problem and the experience of those professionals who have contributed to the development of this report.