Performance-based durability design of concrete structures reinforced with stainless steel bars

In the design of reinforced concrete structures exposed to aggressive chloride bearing environments the use of stainless steel reinforcement can be a suitable preventative measure to achieve the durability target. To assess the benefits of using stainless steel bars, performance-based design models can be applied. Nevertheless, no specific indication for the design with stainless steel reinforcement is reported in present models and their application needs expert skills for defining reasonable values for the design parameters, particularly the critical chloride threshold. In this paper, results of an experimental work aimed at evaluating the probability distribution of the critical chloride threshold in concrete of low nickel duplex (type 1.4362) and austenitic (type XM-28) stainless steel reinforcement are reported. The results were used as input parameters for the application of a performance-based model for the design of reinforced concrete elements with stainless steel bars.